Mirai of the Future, feature film (8+)

Mirai / Mirai no Mirai / Mirai of the Future

In Japanese with Slovenian and English subtitles, 7+

Kun, a little boy, enjoys a happy childhood until the arrival of his baby sister, Mirai. As the new baby becomes the centre of his parents’ attention, he becomes increasingly jealous. Little by little, he withdraws into himself. In the backyard where he likes to take refuge, grows a magical family tree. Kun finds himself suddenly catapulted into a fantastic world where the past and the present mingle. One after another, he meets his relatives at different ages: his mother, as a little girl; his great-grandfather, as an energetic young man; and his little sister, as a teenager.

Through these adventures, Kun is able to discover his own story.

Written and directed by: Mamoru Hosoda

Animation Directors: Hiroyuki Aoyama, Ayako Hata

Art Directors: Takashi Omori, Yohei Takamatsu

Original Music: Takagi Masakatsu

Opening and Ending Theme Song: Tatsuro Yamashita

Sound Mixer: Yoshio Obara

Sound Effects: Kenji Shibasaki

Editing: Shigeru Nishiyama

Voices: Moka Kamishiraishi (Kun), Haru Kuroki (Miraï), Gen Hoshino (oč/Father), Kumiko Aso (mama/Mother), Mitsuo Yoshihara (skrivnostni mož/Mysterious man), Yukko Yoshiko Miyazaki (babica/Grandmother), Koji Yakusho (dedek/Grandfather)

General Producer: Nozomu Takahashi

Producers: Yuichiro Saito, Takuya Ito, Yuichi Adachi, Genki Kawamura

Production: Studio Chizu

Distribution: Društvo za oživljanje zgodbe2 koluta

As a four-year-old boy has a rather limited perception of his environment, Mamoru Hosada decided, what better to illustrate this idea than the house and the garden? They should play an important part in the story because to children, they are like an entire universe. Therefore, the design of the house was enlisted to an architect who worked on the project as though he were planning an actual house, carefully studying the space, the light, and the materials. This resulted in a house that is neither typically Japanese nor western, one more akin to a theatre stage with its succession of landings and absence of partitions.

Through a house, a garden, and an ordinary family, I wanted to evoke the great cycle of existence and this circle of life that we all weave, individually. I like using the small events in our lives as a basis to tackle its most important themes. Using entertainment as a medium, I wanted to explore a new means of expression that would be in sync with the concept of family in its newest forms. And although it may not be sensational in appearance, this film carries my deep personal ambition.

-Mamoru Hosoda

Awards (selection):

- Nomination for Best Animated Feature Film at Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2018

- Nomination for Best Feature at Hamburg Film Festival 2018

- Nomination for Temps Ø People's Choice Award at Montréal Festival of New Cinema 2018

- Nomination for Best Animated Feature Film at Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival 2018

- Nomination for Best Feature Film at Valladolid International Film Festival 2018

- Official Selection Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2018