is a Japanese drama film, produced in 2014, directed by

Nobuhiko Obayashi was a Japanese director, screenwriter and editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream media, and his resulting film ...

. The film stars Tōru Shinagawa, Takako Tokiwa,

Tokie Hidari is a Japanese gymnast. She competed in six events at the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July ...

, Takehiro Murata,

Yutaka Matsushige is a Japanese actor. Career Matsushige has appeared in the films such as '' EM Embalming'', ''Adrenaline Drive'', '' Last Life in the Universe'', and '' Outrage Beyond''. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 31st Yokohama Film Fes ...

Shunsuke Kubozuka Shunsuke (written: , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese volleyball player *, Japanese actor, talent and fashion model *, Japanese baseball player *, Ja ...

, Saki Terashima and

Hirona Yamazaki is a Japanese actress who is represented by the talent agency Toho Entertainment. Biography Yamazaki won the Special Jury Prize at the ''7th Toho Cinderella Audition''. Her first film appearance is in ''We Were There'' and her first television d ...

. The screenplay by Obayashi and Tadashi Naito was based on the story by Koji Hasegawa. The residents of the small northern town of Ashibetsu, where the film was set, helped fund the film."Seven Weeks – Film Review – The Japan Society " http://www.japansociety.org/event/seven-weeks-1

Plot

The film examines such issues as Japan's wartime responsibility, the current nuclear fallout issue, and romance. The director, Nobuhiko Obayashi, has referred to the film as "Guernica in moving images." The film's story follows the funeral of Mitsuo Suzuki, played by Toru Shinagawa, where the family, including his sister Eiko (

); grandchildren Fuyuki ( Takehiro Murata), Haruhiko (

), Akito (

), Kanna ( Saki Terashima); and his great-granddaughter Kasane (

) all meet to discuss his death. Much of the film focuses on flashbacks to Suzuki's youth, and covers the history of the town of Ashibetsu during the 1930s. The film crisscrosses the stories of a dozen different characters, from different decades.

Cast

The film stars * Tōru Shinagawa * Takako Tokiwa *

* Takehiro Murata *

* Saki Terashima *

Production

The residents of the small northern town of Ashibetsu, where the film was set, helped fund the film, which resulted in the film having a small budget.

References

External links

* 2014 drama films 2014 films Films based on Japanese novels Japanese drama films Films directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi Films scored by Kousuke Yamashita 2010s Japanese films {{2010s-Japan-film-stub