Sidonie in Japan

Sidonie in Japan
Theatrical release poster
FrenchSidonie au Japon
Directed byÉlise Girard
Written by
Produced bySébastien Haguenauer
Starring
CinematographyCéline Bozon
Edited byThomas Glaser
Music byGérard Massini
Production
companies
  • 10:15! Productions
  • Lupa Film
  • Box Productions
  • Fourier Films
  • Film-in-Evolution
  • Mikino
  • Les Films du Camélia
Distributed by
  • Art House Films (France)
  • Majestic Filmverleih (Germany)
Release dates
  • 1 September 2023 (2023-09-01) (Venice)
  • 3 April 2024 (2024-04-03) (France)
  • 11 July 2024 (2024-07-11) (Germany)
Countries
  • France
  • Germany
  • Switzerland
  • Japan
Languages
Box office$1.4 million[2]

Sidonie in Japan (French: Sidonie au Japon) is a 2023 romantic drama film co-written and directed by Élise Girard and starring Isabelle Huppert, Tsuyoshi Ihara and August Diehl. It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 2023.

Premise

Established French writer Sidonie Perceval mourns her late husband, Antoine, while traveling to Japan for a reedition of her first book. While there, she begins an affair with her mysterious Japanese publisher, Kenzo, while the ghost of her husband begins appearing.

Cast

Production

Girard drew inspiration for the film from her first trip to Japan that she made to promote her 2011 film Belleville-Tokyo.[3] The film is a co-production of France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan.[3][4] It is one of the last works of co-writer Sophie Fillières, who died two months before its premiere.[3]

Release

Sidonie in Japan had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 2023.[1][3][5][6] The film was released theatrically in France on 3 April 2024 by Art House Films and in Germany on 11 July 2024 by Majestic Filmverleih.[7][8][9]

Reception

Isabelle Huppert and Élise Girard present the film at 41st International Film Festival in Munich, Germany, on 30 June 2024

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.8/10.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lodge, Guy (4 September 2023). "'Sidonie in Japan' Review: A Haunted Isabelle Huppert Gives This Gently Drifting Ghost Story a Soul". Variety. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Sidonie in Japan (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Leffler, Rebecca (1 September 2023). "Venice title 'Sidonie In Japan' starring Isabelle Huppert sells for Indie Sales; first trailer revealed". Screen Daily. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Sidonie in Japan". Cineuropa. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  5. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (1 September 2023). "'Sidonie in Japan' Review: Isabelle Huppert Gets Lost, and Found, in Translation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Sidonie au Japon". Giornate degli Autori. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  7. ^ Pierrette, Maximilien (2 April 2024). "Au cinéma : Sidonie au Japon... Pourquoi faut-il voir ce film doux avec Isabelle Huppert ?". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  8. ^ Raymond, Vincent (3 April 2024). ""Sidonie au Japon", "Et plus si affinités" en salle le 3 avril 2024". Stimento (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Madame Sidonie in Japan" (in German). Majestic Filmverleih. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Sidonie in Japan". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 11 November 2024.