Films catalogue
Okurimono
Synopsis
Noriko Oi, a Japanese-Canadian woman who has been living in Montreal for more than 20 years, is about to return to Nagasaki, her hometown. She has to go back to help her brothers and sisters clear out their childhood home, which will soon be sold.
Within the walls of this old house lie the fragments of the Oi family’s history. What remains of memories when families’ secrets are locked away and end up casting a shadow over the collective recollections? Noriko decides to reconstruct the past of her mother Mitsuko, a survivor of the atomic bomb, in the hope of passing down her cultural heritage to her children and healing the dark reminiscences of the tragic past.
But her quest promises to be arduous. Mitsuko, who passed away 30 years ago, has never shared her story. Through her findings, Noriko meets various allies who will help her uncover her mother's past and unveil unknown details about this era of her native Japan.
Cast & Crew
- Screenplay : Laurence Lévesque
- Cinematographer : Sébastien Blais
- Editor : Marie-Pier Grignon
- Sound : Camille Demers-Lambert, Marie-Pierre Grenier, Olivier Germain
- Music : Wilhelm Brandl
- Producers : Rosalie Chicoine Perreault & Catherine Boily
- Executive Producer : Sylvain Corbeil
Genre
Topics
Biography
In 2019, Laurence directed a short documentary, PORT D’ATTACHE. The film was selected at Visions du Réel, won the Best National Short Film Award at RIDM and was nominated for best short film at the Québec-Cinéma gala. In 2022, Laurence completes a master's degree in which she reflects on documentary writing and the narrative modes that make up reality. She won the Philippe-Ménard prize for best creative thesis. OKURIMONO is her first feature film.
Festivals
- 2024 -
Visions du Réel, Suisse
Hot Docs, Canada | The Earl A. Glick Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award
Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM), Québec