Amiko isn’t like other children. Her endless energy and curious eccentricities make her an outcast at school and get her in trouble at home. When a painful family loss disrupts her seemingly idyllic seaside life, her sense of isolation intensifies, yet it doesn’t stop Amiko from inviting people into her world.
Morii Yusuke’s directorial debut is a confident and compassionate story about a child’s imagination. The film balances sorrow with joy and harsh lessons with naive delight – much like growing up. Crucially, Amiko never forgets who is at the centre of the story. The wry humour and detailed compositions of small-town Japan, as well as the film’s hopeful tenor, are reminiscent of Ogigami Naoko or Hirokazu Kore-eda’s works. The gentle and languorous atmosphere is enriched by a score from upcoming folk star Ichiko Aoba.
Kana Osawa delivers an exquisite, force-of-nature performance as young Amiko. Effortlessly natural, her commanding presence and vitality carry great weight whilst ensuring the film never falls into despair. Amiko’s unbeaten spirit in the face of tired adults and uncooperative classmates lets us go through the pain, as well as experience flashes of mischievous whimsy, alongside a spiriting musical sequence that will ensure you’ll never listen to a conga drum the same way.
赵丽颖,兰西雅,啜妮,王菊,程潇,王啸宇,钱漪
海伦娜·泽格尔,威廉·达福,菲恩·伍法德,艾米丽·沃森,Puiu Mircea Lascus,Lynn Robertson Bruce,Iestyn Evans,Robert Tygner,Sue Beattie,Caroline Bowman
任贤齐,黄晓明,陈冠希,叶璇,刘浩龙,廖启智,邓健泓,方皓玟,王秀琳,高捷,林保怡,刘国昌
赖俊龙,俞芯蕾
克里斯平·格洛弗
斋藤飞鸟,樱井海音,齐藤渚,原菜乃华,茅岛水树,志水彩乃,吉田钢太郎,仓科加奈,金子统昭,要润,二宫和也