Hirokazu Kore-eda to Visit Hong Kong for 'Sheep in the box' Joined by 'In Broad Daylight' Talents

Hirokazu Kore-eda, the third Japanese director in history to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes — for "Shoplifters" — has seen his latest film "Sheep in the box" open across 365 theaters nationwide in Japan, grossing nearly 200 million yen in its first weekend to top the country's live-action box office for opening weekends. A longtime champion of the Hong Kong market, Kore-eda will make a special trip to the city in mid-June, appearing at a series of promotional events ahead of the film's Hong Kong release. These include the "Sheep in the box" premiere and five thank-you screenings, where he will meet and interact with local audiences. At the only special screening of "Sheep in the box," he will also share the stage with two special Hong Kong guests, Lawrence Kan and Jennifer Yu, for a post-screening discussion, sharing his interpretations and feelings about the film. All tickets for the six thank-you and special screenings have sold out, reflecting an enthusiastic response.

"In Broad Daylight" director Lawrence Kan and lead actress Jennifer Yu first crossed paths with Kore-eda in 2024, when they were invited by the Hong Kong Film Awards, where the director served as a presenting guest. On the prospect of hosting Kore-eda's post-screening talk in Hong Kong, Kan said: "Two years ago, Jennifer and I had the privilege of meeting and chatting over tea with director Kore-eda thanks to the Film Awards' invitation, and the director was very willing to share. I'm looking forward to meeting and interviewing him again, especially as he's now bringing his new film 'Sheep in the box' to Hong Kong." Yu, also a fan of Kore-eda and a special guest, expressed her anticipation as well: "Every time director Kore-eda has a new work, I get very excited. This time, beyond getting to enjoy his new film 'Sheep in the box,' I also have the chance to talk with him, and I'm really looking forward to hearing him share details about the new work!" "Sheep in the box" is told from the perspective of the mother, played by Haruka Ayase, with much of the film exploring motherhood and family bonds — themes that are likely to resonate especially deeply with Yu, herself a mother.

Directed, written and edited by Kore-eda, "Sheep in the box" continues his signature exploration of family. Beginning with the question of whether technology can truly resurrect deceased loved ones, the film unfolds the conflict between human emotion and technological progress, examining the boundary between humans and machines while touching on the rupture and rebuilding of family ties in a realistic portrayal of human nature. Marking the first collaboration between Best Actress winner Haruka Ayase and Daigo, a member of the Japanese comedy duo "Chidori," the two play a young couple of architects who, to heal the pain of losing their child in an accident, turn to AI resurrection technology and receive a humanoid robot identical to their son in appearance, voice and even memory. As they attempt to piece their broken family back together, this stand-in son turns out to have thoughts and concerns of its own.

On the origins of "Sheep in the box," director Kore-eda said: "The idea for 'Sheep in the box' began with a news story I read last spring. The report mentioned that companies in China were using AI to bring the dead back to life, and in Japan, there had been a controversial project using technology to put a deceased famous singer back on stage to perform new songs. 'To whom do the dead truly belong?' Although this ethical question is of utmost importance, I can fully understand how desperately those who have lost loved ones long to see them again in any form, to say the words they never got to say. I very much wanted to write a story with a bereaved person as the protagonist. The AI, the dead, and even the trees and forests that appear in this film are often seen in Western culture as threats, or as forces opposed to human life. In Eastern culture, however, the meanings behind these concepts are somewhat different, and for me they are deeply ingrained. So while making this film, I couldn't help but wonder whether I could break out of the typical dystopian-film framework and create a story and ending all my own. Although the film is a near-future story, I hope it can be seen as a universal parable about 'children surpassing their parents.'"

Source: am730 — https://www.am730.com.hk/article/1034803