After the death of their respective wife and mother, Kenzaburo and his estranged son Toshi receive a posthumous letter conveying a specific request. She, Akiko, wants the two to disperse her cremated remains in England's Lake District.

This was the place the woman loved the

most, a Beatrix Potter fan. So begins a journey

to a far land. Hence, we have a Japanese

film set in the UK.

 

Sad, tragic, redemptive and comedic in turn. It is essentially a short story but one I came away from overcome by its sympathetic and fully engaging narrative. The film delivers a powerful and poignant exploration of love, acceptance and

the pain of family loss.

 

The love between the two main actors is expertly portrayed by both sets of actors, young and old (the flashbacks are so tender). The director should be applauded for the sensitive direction. It could have been mushy, it wasn't, it was just right.

 

The pacing of the scenes and the economic dialogue, gives the viewer the chance to garner what is being said, without taking away from the actual scene.

 

Ciaran Hinds guest stars with his own daughter and not surprisingly they have great on-screen chemistry. What nice characters they portray - if only they could be the template for all the rest

of us throughout the UK.

 

This movie stirs emotions that even a stone could feel. One reviewer was brave enough to say “I teared up a few times along the way” … it would not be a surprise if you do too… I did.

 

Peter Sheil