Why Is the Title “Renoir”? Director Chie Hayakawa Shares Her First Impressions of Visiting Korea!

The film is an entry in the main competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and director Chie Hayakawa’s new work, 〈Renoir〉, is raising anticipation by delivering the director’s intentions behind its distinctive title along with news of her visit to Korea.

“Renoir” as the Title—Nostalgia for the West and the Aesthetics of “Fake” in 1980s Japan

Regarding why the film’s title is the same as that of the Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir, director Chie Hayakawa offered an intriguing answer. She said, “Back in the 1980s, in Japan, it was common to run advertisements selling Impressionist-style replicas—including Renoir—by putting them in flashy frames,” adding, “That social atmosphere in Japan, where people longed for the West, hung up ‘fake’ paintings, and felt satisfied, connects directly to my memories from childhood.”

In particular, she said, “I didn’t think the movie title necessarily had to be directly connected to the story,” and added, “Instead, I hoped that the name ‘Renoir,’ which feels distinct from the backdrop of 1980s Japan, would give audiences even more room for open interpretation.”

“May the Child’s Solitude Reach You”… Director Chie Hayakawa Visits Korea on the 23rd

From April 23 (Thu) to April 25 (Sat), the director will visit Korea for two nights and three days to hold stage greetings and a GV (audience Q&A). Ahead of her Korean visit, Hayakawa expressed her excitement, saying, “I hope the mysterious and lonely presence of Fuki, a girl standing between childhood and adulthood, will resonate warmly with Korean audiences.”

Based on the director’s own autobiographical experience, this work delicately portrays, through a child’s viewpoint, the process of 11-year-old Fuki—who has a sick father—learning the emotions of death and life, and of sorrow.

Newly Released “Renoir” Poster… a Child’s Curiosity Facing the World

The additional poster that was released together shows a scene where the protagonist Fuki stares intently at Renoir’s painting inside a frame. Fuki’s lines—“Who painted this? Are you still alive?”—symbolically represent how a child, facing goodbyes, explores the world.

Director Chie Hayakawa’s meticulous direction and the standout performance by rising star Yui Suzuki come together in the film 〈Renoir〉, which will open nationwide on April 22 in Megabox theaters and general theaters.