After Life

After Life is Koreeda's peculiar take on man's two biggest questions: the essence of life, and what might be waiting for us when we die. The plot centers on a middle station between life and what lies beyond. People who are dead wait here for the journey onwards. They have one week to choose a memory from life that they'd like to keep, and this will be put to film – everything else is deleted. So, what do we choose to keep? What has been the essence of our lives? Or perhaps the best thing is to delete everything all together? It's a simple idea, a simple story and a simple film. As any great film humanist would do, Koreeda tackles the mysteries of life in a serene way, and makes us wonder why we're here and what makes us happy. After Life is a poetic and strange film, and an experience you'll take with you through life – and perhaps also to the beyond?

Hirokazu Koreeda is one of Japan’s foremost filmmakers. His original ambition was to be a novelist. He studied literature at Waseda University, but upon graduation had a change of heart and started making documentaries for Japanese television. He has directed a series of award winning films, including After Life (1998), Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008) and Like Father, Like Son (2013) and Our Little Sister (2015).

DIRECTOR CONVERSATION

Film: After Life
Time: October 14, 8 p.m.
Place: Filmens Hus - Tancred

After this screening, there will be a conversation between director Koreeda and Montages. After the screening in Lillebil on October 15, 5.30 p.m., there will be a Q&A with the director.