Departures (2008) Okuribito (original title)

Director:

Yôjirô Takita

Writer:

Kundô Koyama (writer)

Release Date:

13 September 2008 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

The gift of last memories

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Cellist | Death | Orchestra | Funeral | Cello

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 33 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Akemi Fuji
Shinji Hiwatashi
Hiroyuki Kishi
Yukimi Koyanagi
Genjitsu Shu
Tarô Suwa
Ryôichi Suzuki
Yukiko Tachibana
Takao Toji
Atsushi Yamanaka
Miki Hayashida	...	Okuyamakenomusume (uncredited)

Directed by
Yôjirô Takita

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kundô Koyama		writer

Produced by
Yasuhiro Mase	....	executive producer
Toshiaki Nakazawa	....	producer
Ichirô Nobukuni	....	producer
Toshihisa Watai	....	producer

Original Music by
Joe Hisaishi

Cinematography by
Takeshi Hamada

Film Editing by
Akimasa Kawashima

Casting by
Takefumi Yoshikawa

Production Design by
Fumio Ogawa

Makeup Department
Etsuko Egawa	....	special makeup effects artist
Iaso Tsuge	....	beauty director

Sound Department
Osamu Onodera	....	sound editor
Satoshi Ozaki	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Hitoshi Takaya	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Katsuhiko Kitamura	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Yoshiko Fumoto	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Hiroyuki Akita	....	music engineer
Hiroyuki Akita	....	music mixer
Nobuo Furukawa	....	musician: cello
Joe Hisaishi	....	conductor
Joe Hisaishi	....	music arranger
Joe Hisaishi	....	music producer
Joe Hisaishi	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Adam D. Wright	....	distribution executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Amuse Soft Entertainment
• Asahi Shimbunsha
• Dentsu
• Departures Film Partners
• Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS)
• Sedic
• Shochiku Company
• Shogakukan
• TBS Radio & Communications (as TBS Radio)
• Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)

Distributors

• Regent Releasing (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Shochiku Company (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Studio S Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (theatrical) (D-Cinema)
• Wild Bunch Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alfa Films (2010) (Argentina) (all media)
• Arrow Films (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• CN Entertainment (2009) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Emperor Motion Pictures (2009) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore (2010) (Italy) (DVD)
• Golden Screen Cinemas (2008) (Malaysia) (all media)
• Golden Village Entertainment (2008) (Singapore) (all media)
• KD Media (2008) (South Korea) (all media)
• KOOL Filmdistribution (2009) (Germany) (all media)
• Lark Films Distribution (2009) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2009) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2009) (France) (all media)
• Paris Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Regent Releasing (2009) (Canada) (all media)
• Studio S (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Videorama (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• YLE Teema (2013) (Finland) (TV)
• Zeus Films (2009) (Taiwan) (all media)

Other Companies

• Aquarita  hairmake cooperation
• Aveda  hairmake cooperation
• Butaiya  hairmake cooperation
• Continental Far East  Dolby consultant
• East Japan Railway Co. (JR East)  filming cooperation
• Fredell Pogodin and Associates  Publicity
• Fuji Eiga (II)  vehicles
• Imagica  film processing and prints
• Kamiyama City  filming cooperation
• Kodak Japan  film stock supplied by
• Kyuu Kappou Obata  filming cooperation
• Kyuu Minatoza  filming cooperation
• Make Up For Ever  hairmake cooperation
• NK Agent  filming cooperation
• Nihon L'Oréal  hairmake cooperation
• Nihon Shomei Co.  lighting equipment supplied by
• On-Air Azabu Studio  recording studio
• Paul & Joe  hairmake cooperation
• Reeltime Creative  advertising agency (Trailers, Posters, Websites)
• Rodeo Street  vehicles
• Sakata City  filming cooperation
• Sakata Civic Hall Kibou Hall  filming cooperation
• Sakata Location Box  filming cooperation
• Sankyo Souko  filming cooperation
• Sanwa Cine Equipment  camera equipment supplied by
• Shonai Eigamura Co.  filming cooperation
• Snack Wa  filming cooperation
• Tsurunoyu  filming cooperation
• Tsuruoka City  filming cooperation
• Utowa  hairmake cooperation
• Victor Studio  recording studio
• Wonder Station  recording studio
• Yamagata Prefacture  filming cooperation

Also Known As:

"Okuribito" - Japan (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic material

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | USA:PG-13 (certificate #45351) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (British Columbia) | Taiwan:PG-12 | UK:12A | Australia:M | Germany:o.Al. (f) | Denmark:A | Sweden:Btl | Mexico:B | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-12

Filming Locations:

Sakata, Yamagata, Japan

Company:

Amuse Soft Entertainment

Trivia:

Japan's contender for the 2009 foreign language Oscar.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: Episode #26.35" (2009)

One of my all-time favorite movies

It had been years ago since a movie moved me so much that it had brought tears to my eyes, but I couldn't keep my eyes dry while experiencing Okuribito. The story, acting, music and photography are all very impressive.

I guess everyone can in some way relate to the emotions that are conveyed in Okuribito. In my humble opinion this movie is a classic in the likes of Akira Kurosawa's and Yasujiro Ozu's best work: subtle, elegant, serene, soulful, touching and timelessly beautiful. This kind of cinematic storytelling stands high above the usual formula-driven, soulless, commercial Hollywood crap.