A Boy's Summer in 1945 (2002)
Commencing well-respected Nippon director Kazuo Kuroki's sixth decade behind the camera, "A Boy's Summer in 1945" (literally "A Beautiful Summer in Kirishima") is a lyric, novelistic drama set in the countryside in the last days before Japan's surrender ending WWII. Striking a welcome retro note in its languid pacing and delicate handling of seriocomic ensemble threads, handsome production is a natural for fests. It might also prove a cornerstone for retrospectives or ancillary releases of works by a helmer ("Preparation of the Festival," "Ronin-gai") who's long been appreciated at home but has won just limited attention abroad.
Released: Dec 14, 2002
Runtime: 118 minutes
Genre: Drama
Stars: Tasuku Emoto, Yoshio Harada, Tokie Hidari, Wakaba Irie, Eri Ishida, Teruyuki Kagawa
Crew: Kazuo Kuroki (Director), Kazuo Kuroki (Writer), Masataka Matsuda (Writer), Masaki Tamura (Director of Photography), Toshihiro Isomi (Production Design), Hirohide Abe (Editor)