Soudain (All of a Sudden)

Following a series of critically acclaimed films (Evil Does Not Exist, Drive My Car) set in his homeland Japan, director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi sets his camera for the first time in France. Virginie Efira plays the director of a care home who, despite staff shortages and almost insurmountable bureaucracy, wants to offer the residents as dignified a life (and end of life) as possible, following an approach she has developed herself: ‘humanitude’. But her view of care changes radically following an encounter with a seriously ill Japanese playwright. Hamaguchi’s camera patiently observes their relationship – through long conversations, telling silences and subtle gestures. As is often the case with Hamaguchi, chance and fate perform a courtship dance. At over three hours long, Soudain is a long sit, but this moving film about chance, vulnerability and unexpected encounters that can change a life is well worth your time.