Twelve-year-old Koichi, who has been separated from his brother Ryunosuke due to his parents' divorce, hears a rumor that the new bullet trains will precipitate a wish-granting miracle when they pass each other at top speed.
Direction
Kore-eda lets kids be messy, annoying, and devastatingly real.
Acting
Real brothers Maeda—chemistry you cannot manufacture.
Writing
Adults in periphery; children carry the entire emotional weight.
Director
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Maeda brothers were cast after Kore-eda saw their comedy duo act; he built the entire film around their actual sibling dynamic.
The real Kyushu Shinkansen line opened in 2011; Kore-eda filmed during construction, capturing a Japan on the cusp of change.
JP
