REI

In the same mold as Koreeda and Hamaguchi, Toshihiko Tanaka is an emerging new great Japanese director. REI is one of the most finely tuned dramas of the year.

Sometimes, it's as if time in a film almost ceases to exist in the cinema. You end up in a kind of state where you just want to keep getting to know the characters better and better, and turning points and traditional character development become secondary. Like Ozu's Tokyo Story or Hamaguchi's Happy Hour, REI is such a film.

Despite the overwhelming running time, the film never feels long. The director himself plays the role of the deaf and very introverted photographer Masato, living in an overwhelmingly beautiful part of Hokkaido. When Hikari (Takara Suzuki) discovers one of his photographs in a theatre program, she is immediately fascinated by both the man and his pictures. A love story, which will involve a bunch of fascinating people, is in the making.

«The displayed intersection between the beauty of nature and the dark side of humanity is a crucial characteristic in Toshihiko’s work.»

– Zachary Goldkind, In Review Online –

Jon Sæter

Director

Toshihiko Tanaka (b. 1983) is a Japanese director, actor, and screenwriter. Before entering the film industry, he studied business at the University of Michigan. In his debut film, REI, he is both the director and screenwriter and plays one of the main roles.

This film is part of