Starring Bright Star Award Recipient Kasumi Arimura

During an unexpected break in filming, Kasumi Arimura returns to her roots after a long absence. Her mother, Yumiko, greets her at the train station, and together they head home. Mother and daughter are talking about trivial things at home when Kasumi encounters a man she's never met, Makoto Ueshima. As he pays his respects at her father's household altar, Yumiko asks him to fix her bicycle as if they were close friends. At Yumiko’s invitation, Makoto joins the two of them for dinner...

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda

Released in March 2020 on the WOWOW Channel in Japan, Palme d’Or-winning director Hirokazu Kore-eda proves he is as much at home working in the small screen format and equally as triumphant. To fans’ delight, Kore-eda makes food and family the focus in this up-close glimpse into family life. When reading the title, one may think this is a day-in-the-life-of, but it is a completely fictionalized story as the beloved, in-demand actress Kasumi Arimura goes to visit her mom—played by Kore-eda regular Jun Fubuki (OUR LITTLE SISTER, LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON)—when filming is cancelled for the day. The mother-daughter dynamic, with the typical unresolved issues and baggage, confirms Kore-eda at his best. Tensions bubble whether it’s reminiscing about Arimura’s late father (memorialized in the braised cabbage dish they prepare), clearing the table, or washing the dishes. Surprise elements to the story come when Arimura meets Makoto for the first time and observes that her mother has the capacity to be gentle and nurturing. This all stings for Arimura as she realizes her mom is her own person living her own life. It’s hard not to get caught up in the range of emotions and interactions as Kore-eda deftly creates a delightful and relatable intimate portrait of daily family life leaving you hungering for more.