Our Little Sister (2015)

A story that revolves around three sisters who live in their grandmother's home and the arrival of their thirteen-year-old half sister.

Director:

Hirokazu Koreeda

Writers:

Akimi Yoshida (manga), Hirokazu Koreeda (screenplay)

Stars:

Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho

12 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Haruka Ayase	...	Sachi Kôda
Masami Nagasawa	...	Yoshino Kôda
Kaho	...	Chika Kôda
Suzu Hirose	...	Suzu Asano
Ryo Kase	...	Yoshimi Sakashita (as Ryô Kase)
Ryôhei Suzuki	...	Dr. Yasuyuki Inoue
Takafumi Ikeda	...	Sanzo Hamada
Kentarô Sakaguchi	...	Tomoaki Fujii
Ohshirô Maeda	...	Fûta Ozaki (as Ohshiroh Maeda)
Midoriko Kimura	...	Hideko Takano
Yûko Nakamura	...	Yôko Asano
Jun Fubuki	...	Sachiko Ninomiya
Kazuaki Shimizu	...	Toshio Iida
Kaoru Hirata
Shin'ichi Tsutsumi	...	Dr. Kazuya Shiina

Storyline

Three sisters live together in their late grandmother's house in the city of Kamakura. They have lived together since their dad left home for another woman and their mum imitated her husband by running off with another man. Sachi, 29, the oldest Koda sister, a nurse at the local hospital, acts as a substitute mother to Yoshino, 22, and Chika, 19. One day, the threesome learns of the death of their "traitor" father and it is only halfheartedly that they go to his funeral. But in Yamagata something unexpected happens: they meet their half-sister Suzu, 13, there and immediately fall for the spell of this exquisite young creature. Sensing that Yoko, her father's widow, will not be a fit guardian, Sachi invites Suzu to move in with them.

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Plot Keywords:

half sister half sister relationship | family relationships | based on manga | four sisters | kamakura japan | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

- Rated PG for thematic elements and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

13 June 2015 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Kamakura Diary

Filming Locations:

Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$25,118, 10 July 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$461,263, 6 November 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company,GAGA,Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before they shot the movie, four actresses spent a day at the house together to get familiarized with the layout of the house and get comfortable with each other. They cleaned the house, weeded the garden, cooked meals and ate together. They also fixed the shoji screen, which Koreeda liked it so much that he incorporated the scene in the movie.

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Goofs

When the four sisters are having their lunch with Chika's boyfriend at their house, in the interior shot looking outward, all the noodles on the main plate have been eaten.

In the next scene, an exterior scene looking inward to the house, Sachi reaches down and takes the plate away but Chika reaches up and takes several noodles off the plate with her chopsticks.

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Quotes

Sachi Kôda: I want you to stay forever.
Suzu Asano: I want to stay forever.

User Reviews

Such a beautiful film

Ah, such a beautiful film. Just saw it at the Dublin Film Festival, picked it somewhat at random, and did not regret it at all. If you want to have a break from all the noise around and want some peace and quite then this is the film to watch. There isn't much action here, just 3+1 sisters living their day by day lives. Although, the lives are not at all empty, you will find that there is quite a bit of love and pain, decisions big and small, regrets and forgiveness, but they are all expressed in rather subtle tones. And despite anything, you keep feeling that things are getting better and people are growing together rather than falling apart. Such a feel good movie. And, although it is set up in modern times, there is a good measure of tranquility of old Japan mixed in. Small town, old house, veranda into the garden, plum tree, and of course sakura. So all people and events are intertwined with beauty that is around us. Cinematography and acting are flawless. You just completely immerse into the film and are surprised when it stops. And of course, if you've ever been to Japan, there will be many moments that will bring good memories of this incredible place and culture.