Great Absence
When working actor Takashi receives a jarring call from the police, he is forced to reconnect with his estranged father of 20 years, Yohji — an esteemed academic slipping rapidly into dementia. As Takashi attempts to piece together the mystery of Yohji’s missing wife and the fractured life his father now inhabits, their reunion uncovers long-buried tensions and unspoken grief, forcing Takashi to trace the past of his father that he has long refused to accept.
Unfolding as a meditation on loss — of time, identity, and familial closeness never fully grasped — Great Absence is a “delicately devastating” (Variety) award-winning drama from rising star director Kei Chikaura that navigates the fragile terrain of memory, estrangement, and the quiet devastations of aging.
Director & Cast
- Director: Kei Chikaura
- Starring: Mirai Moriyama
- Starring: Tatsuya Fuji
- Starring: Yoko Maki
- Starring: Hideko Hara
Where to Watch
Trailer
Photos
Reviews
- "Critic's Pick! [A] moving drama...structured quite magnificently by Kumano and Chika-ura, directing only his second feature. To follow it all requires close attention, but it’s an attention that’s rewarded."
- "Delicately devastating.... [I]t gets its fire and ice from the legendary Fuji (“In the Realm of the Senses”), who creates an unforgettable portrait of Yohji’s loss of faculty...."
- "Great Absence, is not natural and convincing in spite of its thrilling blend of Florian Zeller’s The Father and Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder, but because of it. Great Absence‘s achronological structure is a triumph."
- "Tightly knotted -- but quietly immense."
- "“Great Absence” never loses its nuance, thanks both to its refined direction and a truly stellar performance from the legendary Tatsuya Fuji. The iconic star of “In the Realm of the Senses” won an acting award at San Sebastian, and it’s easy to see why."
- "A beguiling and touching transference of understanding across time and memory."
- "It's quite moving and really noteworthy for the performance of the veteran Japanese actor Tatsuya Fuji."
- "A deeply felt performance by Fuji infuses the inherent melancholy with empathetic grace, quiet dignity, and relatable humanity."
Best Leading Performance
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Ateneo Guipuzcoano Award
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Golden Gate Award
San Francisco Int'l. Film Festival
Golden Seashell for Best Film
San Sebastián Int'l. Film Festival
Dragon Award
Göteborg Film Festival
Platform Prize
Toronto Int'l. Film Festival