is a 2011 Japanese comedy film directed by
Shuichi Okita about a lumberjack involved in shooting of a zombie movie.
Plot
Living in deep countryside Katsuhiko Kishi works as lumberjack at a local company. His wife died almost three years ago and the relationship to his only son Koichi is disturbed, because Koichi doesn't live up to the expectations of Katsuhiko.
One day Katsuhiko meets the young director Koichi Tanabe and the chief of filming crew Mr. Torii and rather reluctantly helps them to find a filming location. He is also asked to play in a zombie walk scene. Next day he is invited to watch the filmed scenes. After the watch he meets the young regisseur in a public bath and gives him a lift to the train station. Koichi Tanabe is surprised about the interest expressed by Kastuhiko towards the movie and leaves him the script book.
While Katsuhiko reads the script, Torii and two other crew members arrive at the station and prevent Koichi from escaping to the Tokyo.
Koichi turns up at Katsuhiko's to retrieve the script and they spend some time like father and son, while the own son of Katsuhiko has left for Tokyo.
Next day Koichi has to direct the next scenes, but he feels unable to make any decision about any change initiatives from actors and asks the opinion of Katsuhiko, who is at the filming all day now. Katsuhiko learns that very few actors are available to play anti-zombie-battalion and calls village people to participate. The whole village joins in enthusiastically. Seeing villagers joy Koichi Tanabe smiles the first time and starts to feel more confident as a director. He is even able to deal with an old movie star, which participates in one scene, and earns his recognition as a director.
Excited about movie Katsuhiko skips work and almost forgets about the anniversary of the death of his wife. But relatives arrive and remind him. After the ceremony one of relatives tries to give advice to the son of Katsuhiko in a sharp tone, but Katsuhiko defends his son fiercely and earns the astonished gaze of his son.
Last day of filming the rain disturbs the plan, but with the advice of Katsuhiko they manage to film the very last scene just in time during the break between rain showers.
Villagers go back to they everyday life, the Katsuhiko's son works now with his father, and Koichi Tanabe directs the next film, but he takes a "director's chair" made by Katsuhiko everywhere with him.
Cast
*
Kōji Yakusho
, known professionally as , is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his starring roles in ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996), ''Cure'' (1997), ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005), '' 13 Assassins'' (2010), ''The Third Murder'' (2017), '' The Blood of Wolv ...
- Katsuhiko Kishi
*
Shun Oguri
is a Japanese actor and voice actor, son of stage director Tetsuya Oguri, and the youngest of 3 siblings, including older brother Ryo, who is also an actor.
He started in small roles as extra in the works in which his father and brother worked ...
- Koichi Tanabe
*
Tsutomu Yamazaki
is a Japanese actor. He won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor in 1984 for '' The Funeral'' and '' Farewell to the Ark''. Yamazaki is well known for his role "Nenbutsu no Tetsu" on the television jidaigeki '' Hissatsu Shiokinin'' and ''Shin Hi ...
- old movie star
*
Masatō Ibu
is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is sometimes credited as Masato Eve.
Filmography
Films
* ''Love Hotel'' (1985)
*'' Maison Ikkoku'' (1986)
*'' Empire of the Sun'' (1987) – Sgt. Nagata
*''Sukeban Deka'' (1987)
*'' Toki o Kakeru Shō ...
- Ishimaru
*
Kengo Kora
is a Japanese actor.
Career
Kora has gained recognition for his roles in films such as Shinji Aoyama's '' Sad Vacation'', Yukio Ninagawa's ''Snakes and Earrings'', Tran Anh Hung's '' Norwegian Wood'', Ryuichi Hiroki's ''The Egoists'', Yoshihir ...
- Koichi Kishi
*
Asami Usuda
is a feminine Japanese given name which can also be used as a surname.
Possible writings
Asami can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
;as a given name
*麻美, "hemp, beauty"
*朝美, "morning, beauty"
*朝海, "morning, ...
*
Kanji Furutachi
is a Japanese actor.
Career
Born in Sakai, Osaka, Furutachi traveled to New York in his twenties to study acting at the HB Studio under Uta Hagen. Returning to Japan, he joined the Seinendan theatre troupe run by Oriza Hirata and the Sample the ...
- Torii
*
Kyūsaku Shimada
is a Japanese actor.
History
Shimada was originally part of the Tokyo Grand Guignol Theater group, formed by artist Norimizu Ameya. He stayed with the group until its dissolution in 1986. One of the productions the group undertook was an adaptat ...
*
Mitsuru Hirata
Release
''The Woodsman and the Rain'' premiered at
Tokyo International Film Festival
The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...
at 23 October 2011 and won Special Jury Prize. It also screened at 2011
Dubai International Film Festival
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF, ar, مهرجان دبي السينمائي الدولي) is the leading film festival in the Arab region. The 12th edition of DIFF took place from December 9 – 16, 2015. In 2018, the DIFF announc ...
and won prizes for best editor, best actor and best scriptwriter.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodsman and the Rain
2011 films
Japanese comedy films
Films about filmmaking
Films directed by Shūichi Okita
2010s Japanese films
2010s Japanese-language films