20TH edition NOVEMBER 24 TO DECEMBER 2, 2023
20th edition
November 24 to December 2, 2023
Élise Girard worked as a press attaché for Cinémas Action before becoming a director. Her first two films were documentaries about Parisian cinemas: one on the Cinémas Action and the other on Roger Diamantis, founder of the Saint André des Arts cinema. Her first feature film, Belleville Tokyo (2011), was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, as was Strange Birds (2016), which was presented in the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival. Sidonie in Japan (2023) had its world premiere at the Giornate degli Autori in Venice.
Sidonie Perceval, an established French writer, is mourning her deceased husband. Invited to Japan for a new edition of her first book, she is welcomed by her local editor, who takes her to Kyoto, the city of shrines and temples. As they travel together through the spring blossoms, she slowly opens up to him. But the ghost of her husband follows Sidonie: she will have to let go of the past to allow herself to love again.
Production Company 10:15 Productions
International Sales Company Indie Sales