He left for cigarettes and stayed gone 13 years — now his funeral is the family reunion from hell.
Thirteen years after abandoning his wife and two sons by stepping out for a pack of cigarettes and never returning, deadbeat gambler Masato dies of stomach cancer. At his funeral, a motley crew of fellow mahjong players, pachinko parlor employees and former drinking buddies gather to pay their respects and tell stories, revealing aspects of Masato’s life that complicate his sons’ resentment towards him.
Acting
Lily Franky's posthumous presence haunts every frame he's not in.
Writing
Funeral anecdotes that reframe everything — and nothing.
Director
Takumi Saitoh
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Takumi Saitoh cast himself as the more forgiving son, allegedly because no one else could capture that specific brand of repressed Japanese son resentment.
The film's 81-minute runtime mirrors the average Japanese funeral service length — Saitoh wanted audiences to sit through the same uncomfortable duration as the characters.
JP
