While the jury at last year¡¯s Tokyo International Film Festival made some unimpeachable selections, it was left to viewers to supply the biggest surprise of the event. ¡°Another World¡± was an unexpected choice for the Audience Award, which typically goes to more comedic fare in the vein of 2017 winner ¡°Tremble All You Want.¡±
Although it has moments of humor and a sincere humanist message at its core, writer and director Junji Sakamoto¡¯s drama isn¡¯t exactly a conventional crowd-pleaser, unless you¡¯re the kind of person who gets warm and fuzzy at funerals.
Set in rural Mie Prefecture, it revolves around a trio of childhood friends who are now stumbling into middle age. Koh (Goro Inagaki) has taken over his father¡¯s charcoal-making business, more out of stubbornness than any passion for the job, while Mitsuhiko (Kiyohiko Shibukawa) has inherited his dad¡¯s used car dealership.
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