Asako I & II
Japanese romantic melodrama by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) about a woman whose lover abruptly disappears and reappears several years later under a different name.
A mysterious and intoxicating pop romance, ASAKO I & II begins with Asako, a young woman who meets and falls madly in love with a drifter, Baku, who one day drifts right out of her life. Two years later, working in Tokyo, Asako sees Baku again – or, rather, a young, solid businessman named Ryohei who bears a striking resemblance to her old flame. They begin building a happy life together until traces of Asako’s past start to resurface.
With Oscar winner DRIVE MY CAR, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi had his big breakthrough in Dutch cinemas. That was however already his ninth feature film. The success of DRIVE MY CAR is therefore a good reason to also release some of Hamaguchi’s prior films in the Netherlands. ASAKO I & II is based on a novel by Tomoka Shibasaki. With this film, Hamaguchi made his first appearance in competition at the Cannes film festival. By now he is regarded as the most important Japanese film director of his generation.