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February 2009
81st Academy Award Winners!
"Departures" wins 81st Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film! This film is also grand prix at the 32nd Montreal World Film Festival. Directed by Yojiro Takita. Stars Masahiro Motoki and Ryoko Hirosue.
Daigo Kobayashi, who used to be a chellist in an orchestra which had just been dissolved suddenly, decides to move back to his hometown with his wife. One day, he applies to a job he spotted in the classified. He is attracted by the description of the job "Helping people with their departures." He thinks that the job is probably related to traveling. However, he soon realizes that he misunderstood. Sakai, the head of the firm, tells him that his job is encoffineer who ready up the bodies of the deceased for funeral. At first, he is not proud of what he does and he cannot tell his wife what he actually does. However, as he helps lots of people with their "departures," it finally dawns on him how much dignity there is in what he does. His mind slowly comes to change, and he starts to think about life from completely different perspectives. . .
In addition, grand prix of Annecy International Animated Film Festival, "La Maison en Petits Cubes (Tsumiki no Ie)" created by Kunio Kato also wins Academy Award for Animated Short Film. Be sure to check out on this work, too!