''River'' is a 2011 Japanese

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

based on the 2008 Akihabara massacre incident. The film is written and directed by Ryūichi Hiroki. The film stars actress

Misako Renbutsu is a Japanese actress. She won the Grand Prix award at the Super Heroine Audition Miss Phoenix in 2005. Filmography Dramas * (2006) - as Rieko Ishikawa (lead) * (2008) - as Nanase Hida (Tanaka) (lead) * (2009) - as Hidemi Furusawa (lead) ...

, who will play the role of a person who lost her love interest in the attacks. ''River'' debuted at the 12th Tokyo Filmex as one of its special presentations. It will subsequently be released in Japanese cinemas on 10 March 2012.

Plot

Hikari's boyfriend is one of those killed in the Akihabara massacre incident. Suffering from the shock of her loss and unable to accept this reality, she cuts herself off from the outside world. She eventually manages to muster enough courage to visit Akihabara, the scene of the incident. There, she encounters many people who are still coming to terms with the aftermath of the incident and are still suffering from the aftereffects.

Cast

as Hikari, a woman whose boyfriend was a victim in the attacks. *

Mami Nakamura is a Japanese therapist and former actress. Career Nakamura debuted in Genjiro Arato's ''The Girl of the Silence'' in 1995. She starred in Ryuichi Hiroki's 2000 film, ''Tokyo Trash Baby''. Nakamura also appeared in Hiroki's 2011 film, ''River''. ...

as a female photographer. * Anta Odaka * Toshie Negishi * Nahami as an employee of a

maid café are a subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan and Taiwan. In these cafés, waitresses, dressed in maid costumes, act as servants, and treat customers as masters (and mistresses) as if they were in a private home, rather ...

. *

Tomorowo Taguchi is a Japanese actor, film director and musician. After leaving Dokkyo University without graduating, he started to earn his living as an illustrator, writer and pornographic cartoonist. He joined a theatre called Hakken no Kai in 1978 and he ...

as a scout for a maid café. * Tokio Emoto * Yukichi Kobayashi * Yuto Kobayashi

Production

Development

''River'' was officially revealed on 18 October 2011. The film is the first film to be based on the 2008 Akihabara massacre tragedy. During this incident, one man knocked down pedestrians with a truck and stabbed several people, leaving 7 people dead and 10 more injured. The film will be directed by Ryūichi Hiroki, who had previously directed films like '' April Bride'' (2009) and ''Kimi no Tomodachi'' (2008). Hiroki, whose hometown was devastated by the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...

, changed the script of the film to have a stronger focus on the areas affected by this disaster. The lead character of the film is played by actress

. Renbutsu had previously starred in the 2007 film ''Tenkōsei: Sayonara Anata''. In addition, the film also stars

, Anta Odaka, Toshie Negishi, Nahami,

, Tokio Emoto, Yukichi Kobayashi and Yuto Kobayashi.

Theme song

The theme song for the film ''River'' is the song ''

Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song also won the 19 ...

''. This song was originally used in the 1961 American film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', which starred actress

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...

. This song was used because it "reflects the atmosphere of

Kanda River The stretches 24.6 km from Inokashira Park in Mitaka, Tokyo, Mitaka to the Sumida River under the Ryōgoku Bridge at the boundary of Taito, Tokyo, Taitō, Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, and Sumida, Tokyo, Sumida. Its entire length lies within Tok ...

Release

''River'' will make its debut at the 12th Tokyo Filmex as one of the festival's screening. This festival will open on 19 November 2011. The film will subsequently be released in Japanese cinemas in March 2012.

References

External links

* * {{Ryūichi Hiroki 2011 films Films directed by Ryūichi Hiroki Drama films based on actual events Films set in Tokyo 2011 drama films Japanese drama films 2010s Japanese films 2010s Japanese-language films