The Women

[Machine Translation] Yukiko Shinohara stars! This film portrays a woman in her 40s living in the corona disaster of marriage, nursing care, work, and being trapped. The clear blue skies and lush greenery are captivating. In the scenic landscape, there are the lives of women who live trapped in the heavy and stagnant atmosphere of the corona disaster. Legendary producer Kazuyoshi Okuyama has been producing films of various shades of color with an aggressive attitude since the declining days of Japanese films, including "Hachiko Monogatari" (1987), "Sonatine" (1993), and "GONIN" (1995). Today, Okuyama continues to show his versatility as a producer of ambitious works such as "Erika 38," "Gun" and "Kinema no Tamatebako (The Cinema by the Sea)," as well as a director of films. Okuyama has produced a new film that will open a new chapter in an era depressed by the Corona disaster. It is called "Women. The film is set in a rural mountain town with clear blue skies and lush greenery. Misaki lives with her elderly, disabled mother and dreams of marrying Naoki, who visits her home as a home helper for her mother, Mitsuko. An oasis from the suffocating days with Mitsuko, her abusive and abusive mother, is a chance meeting with Naoki. The other is an apiary run by her childhood best friend, Kaori. Kaori's honey is sweet, gentle, and healing. However, the dam in Misaki's heart is on the verge of bursting due to Naoki's cruel betrayal and Kaori's sudden death. Why did she have to die? In the Corona Era, people are separated from each other. But what about the heart and the mind? A spoonful of honey holds the hearts of the "women" together. It has been about 25 years since "GONIN2", and this is the first time since then that executive producer Kazuyoshi Okuyama has looked at the lives of women on the edge. This film also marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Team Okuyama. In the making of a film, there is always a chance or an inevitability. Naturally, casting also involved a number of inevitabilities. The film was an official selection of the Moscow International Film Festival's Main Competition and a special invitation film for the 13th Okinawa International Movie Festival. --The main character, Misaki, works at a local childcare center while taking care of her mother. She is a single woman on the verge of 40 years old, who graduated from a university in Tokyo but was unable to find a job she wanted due to the "ice age" of employment. She is a single woman on the verge of 40 years of age, unable to find a job of her choice, and unable to find love, marriage, or anything else that works. Then comes the reality of "nursing care. Even if they both want to escape, they are unable to do so. One day, Misaki's best friend Kaori, her only source of comfort, suddenly takes her life and disappears. Kaori, who is now an independent beekeeper, has been a heroine of Misaki's since she was a little girl. Misaki's heart is also broken, and she is on the verge of collapse.

Special Feature / Bonus Track: documentary, event footage, greeting, trailer

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篠原ゆき子主演! 結婚、介護、仕事、追い詰められるコロナ禍で生きる40代女性を描いた作品。透き通った青い空と目を奪う豊かな緑。風光明媚な景色の中には、コロナ禍の重く淀んだ空気に囚われて生きる女たちの営みがあった。映画『ハチ公物語』 (1987)、『ソナチネ』 (1993)、『GONIN』 (1995)と邦画斜陽期から攻撃的な姿勢で様々な色合いの映画を製作してきた、レジェンダリープロデューサー・奥山和由。現在もプロデューサーとして『エリカ38』『銃』『海辺の映画館-キネマの玉手箱』などの意欲作を手掛けるとともに、映画監督作も発表する八面六臂の躍動を見せている。そんな奥山が、コロナ禍でふさぎ込んだ時代に風穴を開ける新作映画を製作した。それが『女たち』。舞台は透き通った青い空と、自然豊かな緑が眩しい山あいの田舎町。年老いた体の不自由な母親と二人暮らしをする美咲は、母・美津子のホームヘルパーとして自宅を訪れる直樹との結婚を夢見ていた。罵詈雑言を浴びせかけてくる毒母・美津子との息苦しい日々のオアシスは直樹との逢引き。そしてもう一つは幼なじみの親友・香織が営む養蜂場。丹精込めて作った香織のハチミツは甘く優しく、癒される。ところが直樹の手ひどい裏切りと香織の突然すぎる死によって、美咲の心のダムは決壊寸前を迎える。「なんで死んじゃったんだろ・・・」。人と人との距離が引き離されたコロナ時代。でも心と心は? ひとさじのハチミツが"女たち"の心を繋ぎとめる。製作総指揮の奥山和由がギリギリの女たちの生き様を見つめるのは、映画『GONIN2』以来約25年ぶり。加えてチームオクヤマ発足25周年の節目にもあたる。映画作りに奇縁や必然はつきもの。当然のようにキャスティングにも、幾多もの必然が生まれることになった。モスクワ国際映画祭メインコンペティション部門正式招待作品/島ぜんぶでおーきな祭 第13回沖縄国際映画祭』特別招待作品。 ――主人公の美咲は、母の介護をしながら地域の学童保育所で働いている。東京の大学を卒業したものの、就職氷河期世代で希望する仕事に就くことができず、恋愛も結婚も、なにもかもがうまくいかず、40歳を目前にした独身女性である。娘を否定しつづける毒母、そんな母に反発しながらも自分を認めてもらいたいと心の奥底で願う娘。そこに「介護」という現実がのしかかってくる。お互いに逃げ出したくても逃げ出せない。あるとき、美咲が唯一心のよりどころとしている親友・香織が突然命を絶ち、いなくなってしまう。美咲にとって、養蜂家として自立する香織は憧れだった。美咲の心もポキリと折れ、崩壊へと向かっていく。

特典映像: 女優たち 映画「女たち」撮影ドキュメント、公開祈念イベント、公開初日舞台挨拶、予告編