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Shot by Jaime Pacena II, who drew from his decade-long journey as a visual artist in Tohoku, Japan, witnessing the resilience of Rikuzentakata, a city profoundly altered by the 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, “This Place” was one of the big winners in this year’s Cinemalaya, netting awards for Best Direction, Cinematography, Production Design and Actress for Gabby Padilla.

Ella, a 28-year-old Filipina anthropologist, travels to Rikuzentakata City for her estranged father Emman’s funeral. Finding herself in an environment where most do not speak Tagalog or English, and retaining a frustration for the fact that her father had a second family while abandoning her, she is obviously in a bad mood from the get go. That she has to stay in the same house with the rest of his family, and even more, the opening of the will which essentially demands from her to share with her newfound sister,...

Perfect Days is a beautiful, bittersweet, but ultimately joyful movie with an ending that, when explained, reveals the humanity in kindness and relationships. Wim Wenders, director of the acclaimed music documentary Buena Vista Social Club, the Western drama Paris, Texas, and many more celebrated movies, directed Perfect Days in 2023. While Wenders may not be in the highest echelons of European directors, he's still an incredible and fascinating moviemaker, with dramas like Perfect Days to prove it.

The movie is set in Tokyo, Japan, and follows Hirayama (Kji Yakusho), a public toilet cleaner in the Shibuya ward, an upscale neighborhood of the Japanese capital. Despite what may appear as a low station in life, Hirayama appears perfectly content. He takes his work seriously, but he doesn't let it consume him. In his free time, Hirayama enjoys music, reading, and gardening. Nothing really happens in Perfect Days and yet its story, tied up by a moving ending,...

Few directors are as downright international as the great Wim Wenders. The German filmmaker has traveled the continents, making movies in German, Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, French, and Japanese, sometimes all in the same film. Focusing on people who are often traveling or in a state of transit, Wenders is a master of road movies, epitomizing the notion that 'movement is freedom.' His five-hour masterpiece, Until the End of the World, literally travels the globe, and his early German films ars often referred to as 'The Road Trilogy.'

After six years of making documentaries, Wim Wenders has now directed another fiction film, but it is so organic, so natural a character study, that it practically transcends fiction. Perfect Days, co-written with producer Takuma Takasaki, follows the mundane daily activities of a quiet older man who works as a public toilet attendant and maintains a simple, habitual existence.

In the past decade,...

Koji Yakusho and Arisa Nakano in Perfect Days Photo: Cannes Film Festival In Perfect Days, the camera follows a man as he goes about his morning. Getting up, brushing his teeth, shaving, watering his plants, dressing, going to work. The question on the audience’s mind is, of course, who is he?...

Koji Yakusho and Arisa Nakano in Perfect DaysPhoto: Cannes Film Festival

In Perfect Days, the camera follows a man as he goes about his morning. Getting up, brushing his teeth, shaving, watering his plants, dressing, going to work. The question on the audience’s mind is, of course, who is he?...

You may know Kōji Yakusho as the oyster-slurping mystery man from the noodle-Western extraordinaire Tampopo (1985). Perhaps you remember him as the depressed suburbanite who ballroom dances his blues away in the international feel-good hit Shall We Dance? (1996). He’s the reformed felon in the Cannes-winning character study The Eel (1997), a former muse to filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa in the late Nineties and early aughts, the familiar face who graced Hollywood fare like Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and Babel (2006), and — if you’ve followed his 40-plus years as a major figure in...

Wim Wenders' Perfect Days is a beautifully complicated film that explores the joy and beauty of simplicity. Koji Yakusho delivers a masterful performance as the main character, Hirayama, who finds happiness in the simplest of things. The film uses creative visual decisions and a carefully curated selection of classic rock songs to emphasize the theme of finding beauty in the mundane.

Whether it’s raining or the sky is full of cloudless sunshine, the main character in legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders' Perfect Days is consistently happy. A public toilet cleaner by the name of Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho) seemingly finds joy in what could easily be described as the simplest of things: picking up discounted novellas at the local bookstore, partaking in his hobby of shooting trees with his old Olympus camera, and adopting little saplings he finds on the ground when he goes on his lunch break. Oh, and he...

Clockwise from bottom left: Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton in Lisa Frankenstein, Jennifer Lopez in This Is Me ... Now, Orion And The Dark, Margaret Qualley in Drive-Away Dolls, and Chip in ArgyllePhoto: Prime, Focus Features, Universal Pictures, Netflix

January may be in the rearview, but movie theaters are still...

Wim Wenders, the director of the Oscar-nominated Perfect Days on Hirayama’s (Kôji Yakusho) big lesson for his niece Niko (Arisa Nakano): “Come on, start living in the now. Now is now and then is then.” Photo: Master Mind Ltd.

On Tuesday, Wim Wenders' Perfect Days (co-written with Takuma Takasaki and starring Cannes Film Festival Best Actor winner Kôji Yakusho) received a Best International Feature Oscar nomination. Wenders has three Best Documentary Feature Oscar nominations:

Wim Wenders with Anne-Katrin Titze on using Yasujirō Ozu’s 3:4 format for Perfect Days and Anselm: “I got so much attached to it.”

In the second instalment with Wim Wenders we discuss the Yasujirō Ozu format and Cinemascope; Ts Eliot’s Little Gidding and returns to the...

Neon has released the official trailer for Perfect Days, the latest film from acclaimed director Wim Wenders, featuring four interconnected short stories led by Kōji Yakusho. Perfect Days premiered at Cannes and received positive reviews, earning the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Best Actor Award for Kōji Yakusho. It is Japan's entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. Wenders, known for his visually stunning films, directs Perfect Days, which will be released in German theaters in December, followed by a release in Japan and the US in early 2024.

Neon has unveiled the official trailer for Perfect Days, the latest feature from auteur Wim Wenders. The drama uses vignettes led by Kōji Yakusho, who stars as a public toilet cleaner named Hirayama, to tell a simple and beautiful story about life. The trailer, set to Lou Reed's "Perfect Day," follows Hirayama through what starts as a typical day.

"Now is now." Neon rated has unveiled their official US trailer for an indie gem titled Perfect Days, the latest narrative film by prolific German filmmaker Wim Wenders. This won Best Actor at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival this summer - where it first premiered. It also played at TIFF, NYFF, Telluride, London, and many other fests; and Japan has submitted it as their Academy Awards pick for this year. Perfect Days is set in Tokyo, Japan and the film follows a toilet cleaner who reminiscences about the simple beauty of life. The film is a deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. It follows Hirayama, who seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them.

Japan has selected Perfect Days, the Tokyo-based fiction feature from German filmmaker Wim Wenders, as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars.

The pic, which debuted in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, was picked by the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. The decision marks the first time a non-Japanese filmmaker has been chosen to lead the country’s Oscars push. Wenders’ Perfect Days is likely to have beat out Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy And The Heron for the spot.

The film’s official synopsis reads: Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine, he enjoys his passion for music and books. He loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveals more of his past.

Starring are Koji Yakusho (Babel), newcomer Arisa Nakano,...

Wim Wenders’ Tokyo-based Cannes Competition title Perfect Days has clocked a series of international deals for The Match Factory.

Deals reported include UK/Ireland/Latam/Turkey (Mubi), Australia/New Zealand (Madman), Benelux (Paradiso), China (DDDream), Italy (Lucky Red), Spain (A Contracorriente), Switzerland (Dcm), Baltics (A-One Baltics), Bulgaria (Art Fest), Cis (A-One), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Aerofilms), Former Yugoslavia (McF), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), Hong Kong (Edko Films), Hungary (Cirko), Israel (Lev Cinemas), Poland (Gutek), Portugal (Alambique), Romania (Bad Unicorn), Scandinavia (Future Film) and Taiwan (Applause).

North American rights were previously sold to Neon, while France went to Haut et Court.

The official synopsis for the movie reads: Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected...

Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” which won the best actor award for Koji Yakusho at the Cannes Film Festival, has sold out worldwide. The Match Factory is handling international sales. (Read our interview with Wim Wenders here.)

As previously announced, North American rights went to Neon and France went to Haut et Court.

Further sales included U.K./Ireland/Latin America/Turkey (Mubi), Australia/New Zealand (Madman), Benelux (Paradiso), China (DDDream), Italy (Lucky Red), Spain (A Contracorriente), Switzerland (Dcm), Baltics (A-One Baltics), Bulgaria (Art Fest), Cis (A-One), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Aerofilms), Former Yugoslavia (McF), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), Hong Kong (Edko Films), Hungary (Cirko), Israel (Lev Cinemas), Poland (Gutek), Portugal (Alambique), Romania (Bad Unicorn), Scandinavia (Future Film) and Taiwan (Applause).

The film is a deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. It follows Hirayama, who seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo.

Exclusive: Neon is nearing a deal for North American rights to Cannes competition entry Perfect Days from The Match Factory in a deal pegged in the mid-to-high six figures.

The parties declined to comment.

Wim Wenders’ well-received Japan-set movie debuted today on the Croisette. The official synopsis for the movie reads: Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past.

Starring are Koji Yakusho (Babel), newcomer Arisa Nakano, Tokio Emoto (Norwegian Wood), Yumi Aso (Carnation), Sayuri Ishikawa, Tomokazu Miura (Adrift in Tokyo), Aoi Yamada (Netflix series First Love) and veteran actor and dancer Min Tanaka (The Twilight Samurai).

Related: Cannes Film Festival 2023: All...

The dignity of labor is explored with gentle humor and a very melancholy sense of joie de vivre in Wim Wenders’ second 2023 Cannes entry after his 3D documentary Anselm. Shot entirely in Japan, with very little English spoken, Perfect Days is an unusual film from a westerner since it does nothing to “other” a country that is often romanticized as a series of specific cultural signifiers. It’s a compliment to say that Jim Jarmusch could have made it.

The working title for the film was apparently Tokyo Toilet, the name of the company that employs the film’s gnomic central character, Hirayama (Koji Yakusho). The first half-hour is a masterclass in economy, and could even pass muster as a short: Hirayama rises from his bachelor futon, goes to work, cleans the city’s conveniences with a dignified gusto, then relaxes...

Before you ask, yes, Lou Reed’s rock standard “Perfect Day” does indeed make an appearance in Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days”: on the protagonist’s stereo as suitably ideal sunlight pours into his small, neat Tokyo apartment, before swarming the soundtrack as we head out into the city on a calm weekend afternoon. If that sounds a little obvious, basic even, said protagonist Hirayama — a mellow, soft-spoken toilet cleaner beautifully played by Kōji Yakusho — would probably agree with a shrug. He’s into simple pleasures, not deep cuts. His solitary life is built around the things that make him happy and the work that keeps him solvent. He’s not inclined to wonder what other people make of it. Wenders’ film, in turn, is sincere and unassuming, and owns its sentimentality with good humor.

“Perfect Days” finds its maker in bracing, uncomplicated form: It hasn’t the ecstatic spiritualist...

"Next time is next time." The Match Factory has revealed an official trailer for an indie film titled Perfect Days, the latest narrative film made by the prolific German filmmaker Wim Wenders. He's been making a mix of docs and features recently, and this is one of two new films premiering at Cannes this year. Perfect Days is set in Japan and the film follows a toilet cleaner who remiscences about the simple beauty of life. Yes, for real, but it looks so lovely. Here's a description: The film is a deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. It follows Hirayama, who seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. Starring Koji Yakusho,...

Variety has been given a sneak peek of the trailer (below) for Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” which world premieres in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film is a deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. It follows Hirayama, who seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past.

Koji Yakusho leads the cast. In 2005, he co-starred in “Memoirs of a Geisha,” which was nominated for six Academy Awards. In the following year, he co-starred in “Babel,” a film that was honored by the Cannes Film Festival and earned Golden Globes and Academy Awards.

Along with his international success, Yakusho has...

Exclusive: The Match Factory will be handling world sales on Wim Wenders’ Japan-set Cannes Competition entry Perfect Days.

The film reunites three-time Oscar nominee Wenders with Cannes, where he has debuted 12 movies and previously won the Palme d’Or for Paris, Texas.

The official synopsis reads: “Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past.” Above is a first look image of the film.

Starring are Koji Yakusho (Babel), newcomer Arisa Nakano, Tokio Emoto (Norwegian Wood), Yumi Aso (Carnation), Sayuri Ishikawa, Tomokazu Miura (Adrift in Tokyo), Aoi Yamada (Netflix series First Love) and veteran actor and dancer...