North American Premiere
O Mipo’s stirring, elliptical family drama traces 28 years in the life of Igarashi Dai (Yoshizawa Ryo), a “Child of Deaf Adults” from rural Japan. Blaming his mother (Oshidari Akiko) for his social differences, he leaves his family for Tokyo as a young man, eventually landing a job as a magazine writer. The new friends he makes through a sign language group open his eyes to a diversity of deaf experiences, helping him see his mother in a poignant new light.
Based on a true story, this latest film by O Mipo (director of Japan’s 2015 Oscar submission for Best Foreign-Language Film, The Light Shines Only There) features a beautiful performance from Deaf actors Oshidari Akiko and Imai Akito as Dai’s parents, as well as impressive range from lead actor Yoshizawa Ryo (Kingdom). With handheld camerawork and an evocative contrast between sound and silence, the film makes powerful use of flashbacks that tug at the heartstrings, unfolding a nuanced and emotional depiction of Dai’s experience of Living in Two Worlds.
Supported by
Media Partner
Ryo Yoshizawa, Akiko Oshidari, Akito Imai, Yusuke Santamaria
Japan
2024
In Japanese with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Hideyuki Yamakuni
Screenwriter
Takehiko Minato
Cinematography
Hajime Tanaka
Editor
Hanako Tabata
Production Design
Shimpei Inoue
Original Music
Takuto Tanaka
Mipo O
Born in 1977. Mipo O began her career as a script supervisor. Her short film Grandmother (2003) won the grand prize in the Digital Shorts category of the Tokyo International Fantastic Film Festival. Her feature directorial debut, The Sakais’ Happiness (2006), won the Sundance Institute/NHK International Filmmakers Award. The Light Shines Only There (2014) won the Best Director Award in the World Competition section at the Montreal World Film Festival and was selected as Japan’s representative for the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. Being Good (2015) won the NETPAC Award (Best Asian Film) at the Moscow International Film Festival.
Filmography: The Sakais’ Happiness (2006); Okan no yomeiri (2010); Quirky Guys and Gals (2011); The Light Shines Only There (2014); Being Good (2015)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Sun Never Sets
At the suggestion of her much older (divorced) boyfriend, Wendy (Dakota Fanning) takes a summer to reevaluate her life and date other people. She's reluctant at first, but then reconnects with an old flame... A gentle indie comedy from Joe Swanberg.
Hanging by a Wire
The Himalayas, Aug 22, 2023: a cable car bearing 8 passengers (six of them schoolkids) is left dangling 900 feet above the ground when two out of three cables snap. This nailbiting documentary recounts the increasingly frantic rescue attempts.
The Second Ascent: An Ultra Trail Running Story + Gary Robbins Q&A
After losing its globally recognized ultra trail running race in Whistler, race director Gary Robbins and his tight-knit team scramble to build a new 100km event in Valemount, a small mountain village betting its future on outdoor recreation.