The biological impulses and moral responsibilities of parenthood â and, particularly, motherhood â have long proved fertile fodder for filmmakers across the genres, from horror and comedy to documentary and drama. And, as the English-language title of her latest film suggests, Japanese director Kawase Naomi (Still The Water, Radiance) has chosen to lean heavily into the emotional intricacies of what it really means to be a mother, particularly in a country where family duty and societal obligation are high value currency.
There are two such women in this narrative, which Kawase and co-writer Takahashi Izumi have adapted from the novel by mystery writer Tusijimura Mizuki. Satoko (Nagasaku Hiromi), the married adopted mother of five-year-old Asato (an utterly charming Sato Reo), and 18-year-old Hikari (Makita Aju), the boyâs biological mother who decides that she wants her child back â or else, money to leave the family alone.