Hamaguchi's French Debut Gets 7-Minute Cannes Ovation
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- Hamaguchi Ryusuke's first French-language film "All of a Sudden" premiered in Cannes competition on Friday, earning a seven-minute standing ovation — the longest of the festival to date — with audience members weeping openly during the credits
- "All of a Sudden" is a three-hour-plus drama about a Parisian nursing home director (Virginie Efira) practicing the French "humanitude" care philosophy and a terminally ill Japanese theater director (Okamoto Tao) whose arrival transforms her understanding of caregiving
- The film is loosely inspired by the real published correspondence "You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse" by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono; Hamaguchi co-wrote the screenplay with Léa Le Dimna and spent two years developing it between Tokyo and Paris, shooting on location in both Paris and Kyoto
- It marks Hamaguchi's third Cannes appearance, following "Asako I & II" (2018) and "Drive My Car" (2021), which won best screenplay, the Fipresci Prize, and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury before earning four Oscar nominations and winning best international feature
- Neon holds North American theatrical rights while Bitters End handles Asian sales; the film opens in Japan on June 19 and in France on August 12
- Riley Keough and Eric Cantona were among the celebrities at the screening, and Hamaguchi told the crowd through a translator: "Thank you for staying with us for this long movie"
Why it matters: Hamaguchi, who broke through globally with "Drive My Car," is now expanding beyond Japan with his first French-language and first primarily non-Japan-set film — and Cannes' longest ovation of the fest signals strong arthouse reception. With Neon securing North American rights and release dates locked in Japan (June 19) and France (Aug. 12), the film is positioned for immediate international rollout and potential awards-season play for an auteur with a prior Oscar-winning track record.
