All of a Sudden

All of a Sudden

Oscar-winning director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi returns with a luminous drama set in France, where Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira), the director of a care home, forms an unexpected friendship with Mari (Tao Okamoto), a terminally ill Japanese theatre director far from home. Together, they discover new ways of caring, connecting and living.

Director

Ryūsuke Hamaguchi

Runtime

195 Minutes

Country

France, Japan, Germany, Belgium

Classification

PG

Oscar-winning Japanese director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi returns with a luminous drama of friendship and mortality. In France, Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira) directs a care home shaped by humanitude, a philosophy centred on dignity, connection and attentive care. 

While navigating growing political tensions around her work, she forms a bond with Mari (Tao Okamoto), a terminally ill Japanese theatre director far from home. 

The relationship blossoms into a profound friendship grounded in curiosity, vulnerability and joy. Humane, generous and deeply life-affirming, All of a Sudden reveals that caring for others is one of the fullest ways of living. Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto jointly shared the Best Actress Award at Cannes.

“The rarest type of film, not merely good enough to remind you what cinema can be, but great enough to remind you what life can be.”

Variety

Cannes – Best Actress

Sydney

Melbourne

Film Credits

Director

Ryūsuke Hamaguchi

Year

2026

Country

France, Japan, Germany & Belgium

Language

French & Japanese

Subtitles

English

Type

Feature Fiction

Program Strand

World Cinema

Producer

Julien Deris, David Gauquiè, Kôsuke Oshida & Yûji Sadaï

Writer

Ryūsuke Hamaguchi & Léa Le Dimna

Cinematographer

Alan Guichaoua

Editor

Azusa Yamazaki

Cast

Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto & Kyōzō Nagatsuka

Music

Samuel Andreyev

Film Source

Potential Films & Wonderfilm

Genre

Art, Asia, Drama & Women

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