Sweet Bean

Directed by Naomi Kawase

Naomi Kawase’s graceful, delicate and compassionate Sweet Bean finally emerges in cinemas after opening the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Sweet Bean is the name given to a delicious red paste in the middle of the dorayaki pancakes that Sentaro (Masatoshi Nagase) sells from his bakery to a small but loyal clientele. A remote man, absorbed in difficult memories, Sentaro cooks with skill but without much enthusiasm. When eccentric 76-year-old Tokue (Kirin Kiki) responds to his advert for an assistant, cheerfully agreeing to work for minimal pay, Sentaro is sceptical about her abilities. But when she shows up early one morning and reveals to him the secret to the perfect sweet bean paste, he agrees to take her on. A gentle, unassuming, but profoundly affecting tale.

Duration:
113 minutes

Translated title:
An

Languages:
Japanese

Subtitles:
Full English

Country of origin:
Japan

Year of production:
2015