A Pale View of Hills

What it’s about

In 1982 England, a young woman of Anglo-Japanese heritage starts writing a book about her mother Etsuko, whose life was shaped by post-war Nagasaki and the death of her older daughter. Etsuko recalls a time thirty years earlier, when during her first pregnancy she grew close to Sachiko, a young widow raising her daughter alone. As the daughter writes, she notices inconsistencies in her mother's accounts.

What hooks you

The film is directed by Kei Ishikawa, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kazuo Ishiguro, the author of the original novel. Suzu Hirose and Fumi Nikaido play the central roles of Etsuko and Sachiko. It is based on Ishiguro's acclaimed work and explores a human mystery across two timelines.

Who it’s for

It suits viewers who appreciate character-driven drama with quiet tension and the slow unraveling of family secrets. Those drawn to cross-cultural stories and the lingering impact of the past will find it absorbing.