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Released in Naruse’s later years, Yearning is essential viewing for fans of the filmmaker’s brand of tragic melodrama. Long after losing her husband in the war, widower Reiko Morita (Hideko Takamine) continues to operate her mother-in-law’s grocery store out of love. But when a new supermarket chain threatens to squeeze them out of business, Reiko faces pressure to move on and sell the store. Matters are made even more complicated when she learns of her younger brother-in-law Koji’s (Yūzō Kayama) repressed love for her...

Set against the backdrop of modernisation in post-war Japan, Yearning explores some of Naruse’s most dominant themes, including doomed romance and the struggles of the lower-middle class. With stunning chemistry between the leads Hideko Takamine and Yūzō Kayama, the film’s narrative gradually builds to reveal a devastating and unforgettable climax.

Ages 12+ | Suicide themes