Ryusuke Hamaguchi's New Work 'Suddenly the Illness Worsens' 3-Hour Epic Preview

The latest work of director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film with 〈Drive My Car〉, titled 〈Suddenly the Illness Worsens〉, is set to be released in 2026 (Japan standard). This project, co-produced by France, Japan, Germany, and Belgium, is already generating excitement in the global film industry.

💌 The Philosophy of Life and Death in 20 Letters

The film is based on a collection of letters exchanged between the philosopher Makiko Miyano, who is suffering from cancer, and anthropologist Maho Isono, titled 〈The Disease of Coincidence, The Death of Inevitability〉. Director Hamaguchi expressed a strong desire to adapt the work into a film, stating that he was deeply moved by the debate that encompassed the entire lives and souls of the two scholars about four years ago when he first encountered the original work.

The setting of the work is a nursing facility called 'Garden of Freedom' in the suburbs of Paris, France. The facility's director, Marie-Lou Fontaine, meets Japanese director Mari Morisaki, who is battling cancer, and the film intensively depicts the process through which the two women form a deep bond and connect their souls amidst the progression of the illness.

🎭 César Award Best Actress Virginie Efira & Hollywood's Attention on Tao Okamoto

The casting is also impressive. The role of Marie-Lou is played by French actress Virginie Efira, who won the César Award for Best Actress for 〈Benedetta〉. Opposite her, the role of Mari is portrayed by Tao Okamoto, who has worked in Hollywood films such as 〈The Wolverine〉 (2013), and she is expected to delicately showcase the emotional exchange between the two women.

In particular, Virginie Efira, who attended the Marrakech Film Festival, mentioned that the film's runtime will be approximately 3 hours, similar to 〈Drive My Car〉, hinting at the birth of a grand work infused with Ryusuke Hamaguchi's unique rhythm.

Director Hamaguchi quoted a line from the original work, stating, "Creating relationships means drawing lines in movement and passing through the world together," and expressed his ambition to create a work that expands the lines drawn by the original with the best cast.