❮
❯
TRENDING
Aug. 28, 2024
Film Adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘A Pale View of Hills’
The film will be directed by Kei Ishikawa, starring Suzu Hirose.
Japan - Nobel Prize-winning author
Kazuo Ishiguro’s debut novel, A Pale View of Hills, is being adapted
into a feature film by Japan’s Bunbuku and the U.K.’s Number 9 Films. The film
is set to be released in Japan in summer 2025 and is currently in production.
The adaptation is directed by Kei Ishikawa, known for
his work on Gukoroku: Traces of Sin and A Man, both of which
premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Ishikawa expressed his excitement about
the project, stating that Ishiguro’s encouragement gave him the courage to take
on the adaptation3. The screenplay, which Ishiguro has praised for its mystery
and emotional depth, is expected to bring a nuanced portrayal of the novel’s
themes.
Suzu Hirose, known for her roles in Hirokazu
Kore-eda’s Our Little Sister and The Third Murder, will star in
the film. The story follows a Japanese widow’s secret memories, crossing
between post-war Nagasaki in the 1950s and England in the 1980s. This narrative
explores the yearnings, hopes, and fears of a generation emerging from the
horrors of World War II and the atomic bombings.
The film is produced by Hiroyuki Ishiguro of U-Next,
Japan’s leading local streaming company. Bunbuku, the Japanese production
company behind Kore-eda’s Monster, and Number 9 Films, known for titles
like Living and Carol, are collaborating on this project. GAGA
Corporation will handle distribution in Japan.
Kazuo Ishiguro, originally from Nagasaki, moved to
England at the age of five. His dual cultural roots have significantly
influenced his writing. A Pale View of Hills, published in 1982, won the
Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and is a deeply personal story that resonates
with universal themes.
This adaptation marks another milestone in Ishiguro’s
illustrious career, following successful adaptations of his other works like The
Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. Fans of Ishiguro and cinema
enthusiasts alike are eagerly anticipating this film’s release.
