Just Remembering, a top-rated Japanese love film and a 2022 BJIFF Beijing Film Panorama film centering on when romantic love meets trivialities of daily life, has been slated for public screening nationwide on April 14. This love title, directed and written by Daigo Matsui and starring Sosuke Ikematsu and Sairi Ito, was a film whose tickets were hard to come by and which was critically acclaimed during BJIFF 2022, and will be shown to the audience this spring.

The film Just Remembering depicts a love journey of young dancer Teruo Sako (Sosuke Ikematsu) and cab driver Yo’u Nobara (Sairi Ito). With a flashback structure, it portrays a six-year life of a former couple from the end of their love back to the moment they met, and probes the meaning of love filled with trivial stories where strength is drawn through the former couple’s casual recall. The film takes inspiration from the song Night on the Planet by CreepHyp, which is inspired by a Jim Jarmusch film titled Night on Earth. Apart from a series of tributes being a topic to chit-chat among movie fans, the film is even a seamless upgrade of emotional expression, leading to the compliment from veteran fans that “only Japanese directors can make such a delicate love story”. Commenting on the craft applied in the film, some colleagues in the industry said that “the skillful use of time processing is really impressive”, and that the exposition of romantic love in the midst of trivialities of everyday existence is like a thunderclap from absolute silence, gently yet powerfully hitting the audience in the heart. Even, some guests were moved by the dramatic love setting in supporting characters, and strongly encouraged the audience to go to the cinema to unwrap a bundle of plot surprises in person. 

 Still of Just Remembering

As the recipient of the Audience Award and the Special Mention at the 2021 Tokyo International Film Festival, as well as the “AQCC–Quebec Critic’s Association” Award at the 2022 Fantasia International Film Festival, Just Remembering was one of the films screened in the Vision section at the 12th BJIFF, and introduced to some Chinese audiences ahead of time. At that point, it was highly sought-after, as evidenced in the fact that the tickets were completely sold out in seconds on sale and all relevant cinemas were packed out. At last year’s BJIFF, there were several fans who failed to grab tickets to the film and stayed in the cinema hall for a long time just for a ticket available, and even a fan who touched the movie-goers present because of what he did—watching this film right after binge-viewing six films in a day, and joyfully expressed that “this is absolutely my favorite pure love movie I’ve seen this year”. Just Remembering was also rated by Douban users as the No. 1 Japanese love film in Douban’s 2022 annual movie list, who leaving their comments such as “It packs quite a punch”, “Chaotic yet fantabulous, it is really what it should be like in memory”, “From We Made a Beautiful Bouquet to Just Remembering, Japan filmmakers are excellent in telling the warm or parting stories of love between couples in a delicate and moving manner throughout the years”, and more. All these brief comments are perfect recommendations for more audiences to go to the theater to get a sneak peek on April 14.

Just Remembering, which is imported by China Film Group Corporation, distributed by Huaxia Film Distribution Co., Ltd., translated by Changchun Film Group Dubbing Studio Co., Ltd., and promoted by Beijing United Entertainment Partners Culture & Media Co. Ltd., will hit the silver screen across China on April 14—the World Confession Day.