Cold Bloom

Cold Bloom

2012. Japan. Directed by Atsushi Funahashi. Screenplay by Funahashi, Shigeru Murakoshi. With Marika Matsumoto, Riki Miura, Takahiro Miura. In Hitachi, a seaside town recovering, if slowly, from its 2011 devastation, the young couple Shiori and Kenji are working in a small factory and even thinking of children, until one day Kenji is killed in a work accident, leaving Shiori and the remorseful co-worker responsible for the accident to confront difficult questions of grief and forgiveness. Embracing a tender humanism and classical style, Cold Bloom’s distinctly contemporary setting and narrative infuse a rich tradition with vitality and aplomb. In Japanese; English subtitles. 120 min.