A deep friendship blossoms between a French nursing home director fighting for compassionate care and a terminally ill Japanese playwright as they navigate institutional struggles and shared mortality.

A double actress award was bestowed on Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for their performances in Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s intertwined stories of two women (screened in Competition earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival). One is French and runs a care facility for the elderly, while the other is a Japanese theatre director battling cancer.

Marie-Lou (Efira) strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respecting residents’ dignity, despite resistance from part of her staff.

Her encounter with Mari (Okamoto) will profoundly reshape her path. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women join forces in a shared struggle to “make the impossible possible.”

A life-affirming ode to friendship at the edge of mortality, All of a Sudden is Hamaguchi’s first to be shot outside Japan.

French Film Festival 2026

The 34th edition of the French Film Festival will offer another exceptional line-up of premieres, new talents, memorable encounters, and restored classics.

Explore French Film Festival 2026

Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Year 2026
Duration 3h 17m
Language French, Japanese with English subtitles
Cast Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto, Kyōzō Nagatsuka