Film on DVD: ‘Departures’

Cast: Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryoko Hirosue, Kimiko Yo,

Takashi Sasano, Kazuko Yoshiyuki

Director: Yojiro Takita

Language: Japanese, with English subtitles

Distributor: Madman Entertainment

Reviewer: Rama Gaind

Gently appealing, this Academy Award-winning 2009 Best Foreign Language film provides a delightful journey into the heartland of Japan.

It also offers a fine-looking insight into a sacred cultural heritage.

An unemployed cellist Daigo Kobayashi (Moroki) moves back to his old home town with his wife to look for work. He answers an ad and thinks it’s for a travel agency. However, he takes on the job - as a mortician.

Accurately put, this firm specialises in “encoffinments”, a Japanese funeral ritual that requires the dear departed to be washed and prepared for burial.

This is no ordinary task for Daigo who takes pride in perfecting this artform. He is a caring gatekeeper between the departed and their family.

This is a thoughtful journey with death, not always comical, but one that reverberates with the joy of life.

Aptly titled, this film is tender, moving and uplifting despite the subject.

One can’t help but get emotional because of the storyline – and it’s handy having a box of tissues.