German novelist/director Doris Doerrie’s latest Nippon-set
drama Cherry Blossoms – Hanami has been picked up by Strand Releasing for an Autumn release following
the film’s two wins at the Bavarian Film Festival.
TV vet Elmar Wepper plays a terminally ill man who travels
to Tokyo following
his wife’s death in an attempt to make up for her lost life. She dreamed of
being a Butoh dancer but gave up her aspirations for her rudderless husband. According
to THR, the film is “a surprisingly deep tale about a middle-aged German couple
discovering love on the brink of death.” Inspired by Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story,
the picture is the third by the veteran helmer to be set in Japan following
Enlightenment Guaranteed and The Fisherman and His Wife.
No word on why Strand didn’t pick the film up at the Berlinale
where the film screened in competition. Perhaps they were a bit trepeditious
about the film’s appeal when it didn’t pick up any awards at the fest,
especially given the lack of star power. Subsequent wins at the Bavarian Film
Fest and the Lolas (where the film took home three awards) may have changed their minds. There may also have been some
question as to whether Hanami fits with the company’s image as gay/lesbian
shingle. While there is a gay relationship in the picture, calling it a central
part of the film would be tenuous at best.
