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.

All of a Sudden
All of a Sudden
Director
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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