It begins with a friendship – and then, a film that has moved audiences around the world. On 25 April, Wim Wenders will be in Udine to personally present the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award to his friend and Perfect Days star, Koji Yakusho, on the stage of the Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine.”
Shot in just 16 days in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, Perfect Days follows the life of Hirayama, a public restroom cleaner who finds beauty in routine and meaning in simplicity. Directed and co-written by Wenders with Takuma Takasaki, the film was made with a unique approach; filmed in real locations, embracing the natural sounds of the city rather than avoiding them. “We won’t wait for silence,” Wenders said at the start of production. The approach paid off: Perfect Days won over audiences at Cannes 2023, where Yakusho received the Best Actor award.
The award ceremony on 25 April will be followed by a screening of Perfect Days, bringing the film back to Udine alongside both its director and its star. The event is part of a wider tribute at the Far East Film Festival, celebrating Yakusho’s remarkable career with a retrospective of key works, organised in collaboration with the Japan Foundation and ANA. The tribute will continue in Rome on 28 April with a special event and public conversation with Yakusho.
For more information, visit the Far East Film Festival’s website.
Featured image © Chiyoe Sugita
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