April Story (Japanese: 四月物語) is a 1998 Japanese film directed by Shunji Iwai starring Takako Matsu.
Contents
Plot
Uzuki Nireno, a shy girl from Asahikawa, a city in northern Hokkaidō, leaves her family for Musashino University (a fictitious university sharing its name with Musashino University) in Tokyo. However, she finds herself lonely in the unfamiliar place. Soon, she befriends Saeko Sono, who prompts her to join the university's fishing club. The film shows a series of vignettes of her day to day life: She watches a fictionalized film about a failed assassination on Oda Nobunaga. In the theatre, a man tries sitting beside her, and she flees the theatre, leaving her books behind. She shares curry with her apartment neighbour. She bikes the city streets.
Reflecting on her intentions to attend Musashino University, she recalls the local boy from her high school she fell in love with, Yamazaki, and whom she followed to Tokyo. She finds the bookstore in which he works, Musashino-do, buying several books in hopes of interacting with him. One day, he finally recognizes her. Outside, the rain pours, and Yamazaki pulls out various umbrellas left behind by customers for her to use. She promises to him she'll return as she leaves.
Cast
Takako Matsu as Uzuki Nireno
Seiichi Tanabe as Yamazaki
Kaori Fujii as Teruko Kitao
Rumi as Saeko Sono
Kazuhiko Kato as The Man in the Art Gallery
Go Jibiki
Matsumoto Kōshirō IX as Uzuki's father
Ichikawa Somegorō VII as Uzuki's brother
Yōsuke Eguchi as Oda Nobunaga
Tatsuya Ishii as Akechi Mitsuhide
Crew
Director/Writer/Editor/Composer: Shunji Iwai
Director of Photography: Noboru Shinoda
Lighting Director: Yuki Nakamura
Production Designer: Yuji Tsuzuki
DVD Editions
Japanese R2 (No English Subtitles)
Korean R3 (English Subtitles)
Hong Kong R3 (Japanese dialogue, English / Full Chinese subtitles)
Festivals
Toronto International Film Festival, 1998
Pusan International Film Festival, 1998
Awards
1998 Pusan International Film Festival: PSB Award (Audience Award)