赠礼 Okurimono (2024)

At the age of 60, Japanese Canadian Noriko Oi embarks on an emotionally charged journey back to Nagasaki, her childhood city, to unravel the tightly kept secrets of her family’s past. Decades after the death of her mother, Mitsuko, and facing the sale of her ancestral home, Oi seizes a poignant opportunity to piece together a mother’s history that was never shared with her. Sifting through the hidden corners of her family home, engaging with those who shared Mitsuko’s history with her, Oi discovers letters and stories that weave a rich tapestry of her mother’s life and untold narratives of her native Japan. Through Laurence Lévesque’s thoughtful storytelling marked by stunning visuals, Okurimono navigates the delicate realms of unspeakable pain and intergenerational trauma with grace, painting a poignant picture of closure.