Educational Media Reviews Online

In the feature film True Mothers, director Naomi Kawase liberally blurs the lines between vapid melodrama, faux social issues documentary, psychological thriller, and landscape travel documentary, with profound and intriguing results. Through brilliant performances by Hiromi Nagasaku, Aju Makita and Miyoko Asada, we are led on a pensive, slow journey detailing the many joys, fears, sorrows and pains of true motherhood, in its myriad forms, from fertility struggles, adoption decisions, losses of identity, and the seemingly endless day-to-day turmoil of mothering (and mothering from a distance).

The film is recommended for film studies for its creative blending of genres and intentional use of time, including flashbacks and flash forwards which have the viewer questioning their own memory and perceptions. The film would also seem to lend itself well to Japanese language cultural studies courses for its very accessible and patient depictions of day-to-day life. It is also recommended for Japanese literature courses, as there is no shortage of symbolism readily available for close reading and interpretation, in addition to the film being an adaptation of Mizuki Tsujimura’s 2015 novel, “Asa ga Kuru.” Courses focused on adoption and women’s rights would benefit from pairing this thoughtful feature with Sun Hee Engelstoft’s highly recommended documentary focused on young Korean mothers contemplating adoption, Forget Me Not.

Awards:
Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival (2020); Winner, Best Supporting Actress, Asian Film Awards

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