Lying to Mom
When stay-at-home mother Yuko (Hideko Hara) discovers the hanging corpse of her hikikomori (shut-in) son Koichi (Ryo Kase), she passes out from shock and goes into a coma. Waking in a hospital over a month later on the 49th day since Koichi’s passing, Yuko recalls nothing of the incident. On impulse, her daughter Fumi (Mai Kiryu) tells Yuko that Koichi is alive and well in Argentina—the first lie in a saga of deception that unfurls as Yuko’s family attempts to hide the truth from her. The debut feature by writer/director Katsumi Nojiri, who deftly handles the morose subject matter in a gently humorous way that offers earnest insight on family dynamics and the process of dealing with loss.
- Winner, Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film, 2019 New York Asian Film Festival
“A heartfelt tale of reconciliation and acceptance.” —Asian Movie Pulse
Streaming in the U.S. from February 5-25 as part of 21st Century Japan: Films from 2001-2020