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Departures

2008 · Movie · PG-13 · 130 min · ★ 7.9 · 74% critics

Drama

After being laid off from his orchestra, a cellist returns with his wife to his small hometown to find a new job. He thinks it’s for a travel agency, but the work he’s offered involves preparing people for their final farewells.

Also known as Départs

IMDb

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Details
Original title
おくりびと
Years
2008
Release date
2008-09-13
Language
Japanese
Rated
PG-13
Runtime
130 min
Critic score
74/100
TMDB rating
7.9/10 (929 votes)
About

Choose this if you want a heartfelt, thoughtful story about finding purpose through unexpected work and learning to face death with dignity; Not for you if you prefer action-heavy thrillers or darker, relentlessly bleak dramas like Glass Heart or Memories of Matsuko.

Pros: deeply moving; respectful rituals; memorable character growth | Cons: slow start; heavy subject matter

Themes

  • dying and death
  • funeral
  • octopus
  • coffin
  • cello
  • musical
  • based on memoir or autobiography
  • odd job
  • yamagata
  • hopeful

Awards & recognition

  • Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 2009
  • Japan Academy Prize — Director of the Year · 2009
  • Japan Academy Prize — Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role · 2009
  • Japan Academy Prize — Screenplay of the Year · 2009
  • Japan Academy Prize — Picture of the Year · 2009
Show all 15 awards →
  • Asian Film Award — Best Actor · 2008
  • Hōchi Film Award — Best Picture · 2008
  • Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 2009 · nominated
  • International Submission to the Academy Awards · 2009 · nominated
  • Japan Academy Prize — Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role · 2009 · nominated
  • Japan Academy Prize — Screenplay of the Year · 2009 · nominated
  • Japan Academy Prize — Picture of the Year · 2009 · nominated
  • Japan Academy Prize — Director of the Year · 2009 · nominated
  • Japan Academy Prize — Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role · 2009 · nominated
  • Asian Film Award — Best Actor · 2008 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Yojiro Takita