Naomi Kawase’s ‘Yakushima’s Illusion’ scores key sales ahead of Locarno premiere

Exclusive: Naomi Kawase’s The fantasy of water, a The later period, which was added to Locarno’s competition lineup, is widely available at Cinefrance International ahead of its world premiere today (August 15th).

The film stars Vicki Creeps as the French coordinator of a pediatric heart transplant sent to Japan, where she fights to save the lives of her young child, just as the man she loves suddenly disappears. The rising Japanese actor Kanji also stars.

CineFrance International, a global sales arm of Paris-based CineFrance Studios, has sold films to Spain’s Happinet Phantom Studios, Venerax’s Caramel Films, Portugal’s September Film Distribution, Taiwan’s Andrews Films, Turkish MARS Productions, and Roman’s MCF Megacom Films. Ad Vitam will release a film in France. Other territories are being debated with CineFrance.

Cinefrance Studios produced the film alongside Kawase for co-producers of Kumie Inc. in Japan. Tarantula in Belgium, Viktoria Productions in Luxembourg, Pio & Co in France, Prod Lab and Marignan Films.

Yakshma’s llussion This is Kawaze’s first feature since the adoption drama in 2020 True mother, I played in the competition at Cannes.

Renan Altukumachi, producer and head of sales at CineFrance, said the film is “a deeply immersive film experience combining Naomi Kawaze’s distinctive sensitivity and visual elegance with Vicki Creep’s heartfelt and impressive performances.”

Japanese distributor Haptinet Phantom Studios added, “It depicts the reality of pediatric organ transplants in Japan through the eyes of a single healthcare worker from overseas.” The company added: “At a time when world division is being declared loudly, Director Naomi Kawaze’s sincere commitment to interacting with others and her unwavering belief in the possibility of dialogue makes me feel more and more important in modern films.”

Enrique González Kuhn of Caramel Films described the film as “a powerful work of storytelling, made with a visually persuasive, emotionally resonating, and a clear artistic vision.”