Firefly Dreams ( Ichiban utsukushî natsu )

Firefly Dreams (DVD) (*)

Out of Stock

Original Title: Ichiban utsukushî natsu
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
Japanese ( Dolby Surround )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
104 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Commentary
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2001 and produced in:
Japan ( India, Eastern Asia )

Directed By:
John Williams

Written By:
John Williams

Actors:
Maho ..... Naomi
Tsutomu Niwa ..... Masaru
Etsuko Kimata ..... Yumi
Haruo Hanahara ..... Yumi's grandfather
Shunsuke Kabeya ..... Yûji
Kyoko Kanemoto ..... Yumi's mother
Yoshie Minami ..... Mrs. Koide
Chie Miyajima ..... Naomi's mother
Atsushi Ono ..... Naomi's father
Ayako Satô ..... Tomoko
Sadayasu Yamakawa ..... Yumi's father

Synopsis:

17-year-old Naomi is deeply affected by her parents' divorce and so agrees to her mother's suggestion that she go for the holidays to stay with her aunt in the mountains. When the aunt realises that Naomi is not too thrilled with her work at the hotel, she introduces her to Mrs. Koide, a distant relative living in isolation. At first Naomi is mortified by the thought of taking care of an old woman but she soon becomes interested in the secrets Mrs. Koide is evidently hiding. The girl and the old woman find that they have a common language and begin sharing their dreams, desires and disappointments. Naomi becomes even more attached to Mrs. Koide after she is let down by a local boy she's met, and to her surprise she discovers how similar her feelings are to those described by a woman several generations her senior.

Delightful coming-of age drama. When her mother leaves home, her father sends sullen rebellious teenage city girl Naomi to help out at an aunt's hotel in the country amidst stunning mountain scenery. Delegated to keep an eye on elderly relative Mrs. Koide, whose memory is failing, she is drawn into a generation-leaping relationship and driven to explore via old photos the fragile old lady's hidden past as young wife, war widow and even filmstar, finding a parallel between the actress' dumping by her director and her own brief affair with a local delivery boy. Returning to the city after her father's suicide and Mrs. Koide's death, Naomi seeks out a video of Mrs. Koide's movie Valley of the Fireflies and comes to an understanding of life and aging.

The story of Naomi, a 'problem' teenager who is sullen and unruly. Finding her parents' relationship difficult, she behaves sufficiently badly to be sent away to work at an isolated hotel owned by her aunt. When this doesn't work, Naomi is assigned to look after an old family relative suffering from Alzheimer's. Against all expectations the two develop a strong relationship.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 07 September, 2009.