Fly On

The loss of a loved one is a painful turning point in Watako's simple and monotonous life. Usually, the support of family helps to cope with such a loss. But what if this support, starting with her husband, must never know or learn anything about the person being mourned? How does one face their indivisible grief when the loved one never existed for those closest to them? Her husband soon notices a change in his wife's behavior, as she tries to suppress all feelings of pain and memory, but her practiced indifference soon turns into hostility. She begins to search for connections to the lost shared past and soon learns that others also painfully miss the lover she believed to be uniquely hers.

The film adaptation of his play is the second film project for director/screenwriter Takuya KATŌ, based on his own work. With Grown-Ups, he made an impressive debut in 2021, also dealing with a relationship situation severely put to the test. Fly On has already been shown at several European film festivals and has received awards. The film is excellently cast, down to the smallest supporting roles. Mugi KADOWAKI in the lead role has already been admired in a whole series of films at Japannual, most recently in Aristocrats or Farewell Song. She also plays the tragic lead role in the first part of Dare To Stop Us. Joining her are Shōta SOMETANI (who has often worked with Kyoshi KUROSAWA) and Haru KUROKI (Okiko and the World, last year at Japannual), two of Japan's more recognizable actors. Kanji FURUTACHI was also perfectly cast in one of the supporting roles. We remember him well from Harmonium (Japannual 2018).