Love Life

It is the 65th birthday of the strict family father, where, despite all the feigned familial bliss, divisions also open up within the intimate family circle. When the celebrations end abruptly with an unspeakably tragic event, the couple Taeko and Jiro are faced with a whole new set of unexpected challenges. Coming to terms with painful loss is something they both have to deal with very differently. When Taeko's ex-husband Park, a deaf Korean, without a job or a place to live in Japan, reappears, she tries to support him. Soon he takes up more space in her life than originally intended, as there is too much to work through in their shared past. Husband Jiro observes all this with respectful suspicion, but he too tries to share his approach to grief with another person. It is the longing search to be understood in their grief that drives the two apart. The decisions and behaviors of the characters involved seem increasingly absurd, until finally a sudden trip to Korea is supposed to bring clarification.

In Japan, Love Life was nominated for several Hochi Film Awards, among other honors. Director Koji Fukada was allowed to start with his film in the Venice competition.