After a long and unsuccessful struggle to get pregnant, Satoko and her husband decide to adopt a child. Over the next six years, the middle-class couple and their young son Asato settle into a comfortable, albeit routine, life. The family’s orderly existence is shattered by the arrival of Hikari, a young woman claiming to be Asato’s biological mother, demanding his return. As tensions mount, Satoko grows more and more emboldened to defend her family.

Weaving together multiple timelines and genres with a contemplative pacing and keen sense of place, hallmarks of Kawase’s work, TRUE MOTHERS is “is a deeply touching celebration of women who assume duties of love, support and compassion” (Awards Watch).

Japan's Official Submission to the Academy Awards

"A rewarding drama which weaves together knotted maternal bonds and textured character portraits. An elegant, absorbing piece of storytelling." – Wendy Ide, Screen Daily

"Shimmers with beauty and sadness… 'True Mothers' wows in the end with an emotional banger of an ending that’s a truly devastating convergence of all the film’s threads." – Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire