Departures (2008)
"Okuribito" (original title)

A newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals.

Director:

Yôjirô Takita

Writer:

Kundô Koyama

Stars:

Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryôko Hirosue

Won 1 Oscar. Another 33 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Masahiro Motoki	...	Daigo Kobayashi
Tsutomu Yamazaki	...	Ikuei Sasaki
Ryôko Hirosue	...	Mika Kobayashi
Kazuko Yoshiyuki	...	Tsuyako Yamashita
Kimiko Yo	...	Yuriko Uemura
Takashi Sasano	...	Shokichi Hirata
Tetta Sugimoto	...	Yamashita
Tôru Minegishi	...	Yoshiki Kobayashi
Tatsuo Yamada	...	Togashi
Yukari Tachibana
Tarô Ishida	...	Sonezaki
Sanae Miyata	...	Naomi Togashi
Ryôsuke Ôtani	...	Tomeo's father
Mitsuyo Hoshino	...	Kazuko Kobayashi
Tatsuhito Okuda

Storyline

Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and now finds himself without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled "Departures" thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of "Nokanshi," acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living.

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Plot Keywords:

cellist | death | orchestra | funeral | cello | 

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Taglines:

The gift of last memories

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Official site [United States]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

13 September 2008 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Departures

Filming Locations:

Sakata, Yamagata, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$74,945 (USA) (29 May 2009)

Gross:

$1,542,503 (USA) (11 June 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amuse Soft Entertainment, Asahi Shimbunsha, Dentsu

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Japanese title "Okuribito" means "the sending [away/off] people" (as in: people who send) - but this word is not normally used in Japanese.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Daigo Kobayashi: [voice over narration] When I was a child winter didn't feel so cold. It's nearly two months since I moved home from Tokyo. It's been an awkward time.

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Connections

Remade as Untitled Departures Remake

User Reviews

Marvellous!!! One of the best movies I've ever seen!!!

Probably the best movie I've ever seen. I have seen it at the 32nd Montreal World Film Festival and I hope it'll be well awarded! Even though the plot line is the "death", it's done with such kindness, softness and emotion (every little thing in the Japanese culture is made like a piece of art) and being able to make us feel so much emotions concerning the subject was really enjoyable. It's really a must see, the music is so captivating in every moment of grief. I had to hold my tears 5 times at least. I was also glad to see Tsutomu Yamazaki, I hadn't saw him since Tampopo... that was years ago (there are not a lot of Japanese movies to see in french theaters.)