An

An is the most touching and audience pleasing film from the Japanese auteur Naomi Kawase so far in her career. We follow Senturo, who runs a Dorayaki joint – Dorayaki being a kind of a sweet pancake filled with a sugary red bean paste. The business is not going well and Senturo is on the verge of giving up. When Okue, an old Japanese lady who happens to be a world class Doryaki-chef, applies for a job in Senturo`s joint, his luck seems to change. However, both Okue and Senturo have hidden secrets and other intentions than what we are led to believe. An has been described as «food porn» and an esthetic masterpiece by critics. However, the food is not the central aspect of the film. An is rather a beautiful and universal fable of friendship and betrayal.

Naomi Kawase (b. 1969) is one of the most acknowledged directors in Japan. She has directed over 15 films and won the Caméra D'or and Grand Prix du Jury in Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and 2007, respectively. She describes her own style as fiction with a documentarian's gaze, and is well known for her esthetic brilliance.