Masahiro Kobayashi aims to create "modern Tokyo Story"

[Tokyograph News]

Director Masahiro Kobayashi ("Ai no Yokan") is working on a new film called "Haru to no Tabi." The movie stars veteran actor Tatsuya Nakadai (76), who last played a lead role in the 2002 picture "Shiroi Inu to Waltz wo."

The story portrays the final trip of an old man together with his granddaughter. The film is said to be a look at social issues surrounding family and the elderly. In talking about the movie, the ambitious Kobayashi explained that he wanted to do a modern version of a masterpiece like Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Story" or Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru."

Nakadai plays a former fisherman named Tadao who lives in Hokkaido with his granddaughter Haru (Eri Tokunaga). Haru says she wants to move to Tokyo and work there, so Tadao pays a visit to his estranged brothers, who both think poorly of Tadao. The brothers are played by Hideji Otaki (with Kin Sugai as his wife) and Akira Emoto.

Shooting started earlier this month in areas such as Hokkaido and Miyagi. It is said that there are already offers from overseas distributors, and Kobayashi is aiming to have the film premiere in 2010 at international movie festivals, especially Cannes.

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