Love Letter

Infobox Film
name = Love Letter


caption =
director = Shunji Iwai
producer = Tomoki Ikeda
Jiro Komaki
Masahiko Nagasawa
writer = Shunji Iwai
starring = Miho Nakayama
Etsushi Toyokawa
Bunjaku Han
Miki Sakai
Takashi Kashiwabara
music = The Pillows, Remedios
editing = Shunji Iwai
distributor = Fine Line Features
released = 25 March 1995 (Japan)
June 12 1998 (USA)
runtime = 117 min.
country = Japan
language = Japanese
cinematography = Noboru Shinoda
Box office gross = ¥8,500,760,900
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0113703

"Love Letter" is a 1995 Japanese film directed by Shunji Iwai, and starring Miho Nakayama. The film was shot almost entirely on the island of Hokkaidō, mainly in the city of Otaru.

"Love Letter" became a box-office hit in Japan and later in other east Asian countries, most notably South Korea where it was one of the first Japanese films to be shown in cinemas since World War II.

Director Shunji Iwai hired Noboru Shinoda as cinematographer and the collaboration between the two produced a film praised for its evocative winter cinematography.

Iwai cast pop singer Miho Nakayama in the challenging dual roles of Hiroko Watanabe and Itsuki Fujii. The film also launched the movie career of teenager Miki Sakai who won 'Newcomer of the Year' Award in the Japanese Academy Awards for her portrayal of Itsuki Fujii as a young girl. The main male roles were played by Etsushi Toyokawa as Akiba Shigeru and Takashi Kashiwabara as the male Itsuki Fujii.

Fine Line Features acquired all American distribution rights of " Love Letter "; Fine Line Features released this movie in the United States theatrically under the new title "When I Close My Eyes". However, Fine Line Features hasn't released this movie on DVD yet.

Plot

Hiroko Watanabe has recently lost her fiancé Itsuki Fujii in a mountain climbing accident. On the day of his memorial ceremony, two years after his death, Watanabe finds his address in his high-school photo album. She decides to write him a letter. Surprisingly, she receives a reply from Fujii. Unsure who sent the reply, she cannot keep from writing again.

Cast

*Miho Nakayama as Itsuki Fujii and Hiroko Watanabe
*Etsushi Toyokawa as Akiba Shigeru
*Bunjaku Han as female Itsuki Fujii's mother
*Katsuyuki Shinohara as female Itsuki Fujii's grandfather
*Miki Sakai as Itsuki Fujii as a young girl
*Takashi Kashiwabara as male Itsuki Fujii

Awards

* 1996 Japanese Academy Awards - Newcomer of the Year (Miki Sakai)
* 1996 Japanese Academy Awards - Newcomer of the Year (Takashi Kashiwabara)
* 1996 Japanese Academy Awards - Most Popular Performer (Etsushi Toyokawa)
* 1996 Blue Ribbon Awards - Best Actress (Miho Nakayama)
* 1996 Kinema Junpo Awards – Best Film (Shunji Iwai)
* 1995 Hochi Film Awards - Best Actress (Miho Nakayama)
* 1995 Hochi Film Awards - Best Supporting Actor (Etsushi Toyokawa)
* 1995 Toronto Film Festival - Audience Award

External links