The story of a traditional, Kyoto woman who runs a failing, kimono business and the biracial entrepreneur who comes to help keep it solvent. Along the way they fall in love but his need for ... Read allThe story of a traditional, Kyoto woman who runs a failing, kimono business and the biracial entrepreneur who comes to help keep it solvent. Along the way they fall in love but his need for change clashes with her desire for the world to stay the same.The story of a traditional, Kyoto woman who runs a failing, kimono business and the biracial entrepreneur who comes to help keep it solvent. Along the way they fall in love but his need for change clashes with her desire for the world to stay the same.
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I finally had the pleasure of being able to watch this movie after becoming available in Australia.
It's a beautifully shot movie with such a fantastic focus on the beauty and culture of Kyoto. It also explores some of the difficulties of how ancient culture has been thrust into modern times and how different people cope with these changes. Through these difficulties new relationships are forged and tested. The characters are real, and I enjoyed watching their progression across the movie. The complexities of human nature and relationships are on show in this movie and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it unfold on screen.
A impressive first feature film with great things to come!!
It's a beautifully shot movie with such a fantastic focus on the beauty and culture of Kyoto. It also explores some of the difficulties of how ancient culture has been thrust into modern times and how different people cope with these changes. Through these difficulties new relationships are forged and tested. The characters are real, and I enjoyed watching their progression across the movie. The complexities of human nature and relationships are on show in this movie and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it unfold on screen.
A impressive first feature film with great things to come!!
Full disclosure: I'm friends with the director and I wrote a song that was used in the film.
Japan's been a point of fascination for me - even an obsession - over the years. From afar, it felt like a place wholly unique and deeply rooted in tradition. Visiting it, I can attest that those feelings were true, and "Impossible to Imagine" exemplifies those traits so well with its protagonist, Ami. She holds so tightly to her identity and the ways of the past.
Conversely, the country has a number of demographic issues (namely an aging population), and may need to shift towards outside influence. The secondary protagonist, Hayato, an Australian-Japanese businessman is a great avatar for this. He is more up front, adaptable, and sometimes a source of discomfort for Ami.
The parallels continue with its director, Felicity Tillack, who is an immigrant to Japan herself. Her cinematic choices are distinctly Japanese (slow and thoughtfully paced) but her sense of humour is sharp and playful, I imagine more akin to her Australian heritage. Sometimes, amalgam projects can lose their identity, but this film felt authentic to both sides. I'm especially fond of the choice of locations and their representation; it was like I was walking the streets of Kyoto again.
Admittedly, there are some rough spots, but I couldn't help but nod along with the film. It felt so much like the country I love and asked many of the same questions I did. "Impossible to Imagine" may be presented as a love story, but I'll remember it as a thoughtful - and important - look at the past and future of Japan and the tension therein.
Japan's been a point of fascination for me - even an obsession - over the years. From afar, it felt like a place wholly unique and deeply rooted in tradition. Visiting it, I can attest that those feelings were true, and "Impossible to Imagine" exemplifies those traits so well with its protagonist, Ami. She holds so tightly to her identity and the ways of the past.
Conversely, the country has a number of demographic issues (namely an aging population), and may need to shift towards outside influence. The secondary protagonist, Hayato, an Australian-Japanese businessman is a great avatar for this. He is more up front, adaptable, and sometimes a source of discomfort for Ami.
The parallels continue with its director, Felicity Tillack, who is an immigrant to Japan herself. Her cinematic choices are distinctly Japanese (slow and thoughtfully paced) but her sense of humour is sharp and playful, I imagine more akin to her Australian heritage. Sometimes, amalgam projects can lose their identity, but this film felt authentic to both sides. I'm especially fond of the choice of locations and their representation; it was like I was walking the streets of Kyoto again.
Admittedly, there are some rough spots, but I couldn't help but nod along with the film. It felt so much like the country I love and asked many of the same questions I did. "Impossible to Imagine" may be presented as a love story, but I'll remember it as a thoughtful - and important - look at the past and future of Japan and the tension therein.
10cjkgwdh
An unforgettable movie that speaks to the heart. It was well portrayed by actors who exemplified great chemistry. It is a brilliant movie that touches on sensitive issues such as biracial relationships, tourism problems in an overly crowded destination like Kyoto, etc. This beautiful movie shows the struggles of traditional businesses in Japan, how the complex issues of tourism affect preserving culture and traditions in the modern world narrated in a very effective way.
The picturesque shots of Kyoto in the movie were magical and the cinematography is excellent. The direction is outstanding and the writing and editing are equally compelling. The direction and coordination of some of the scenes are fantastic, making you wonder what happens next. The director manages to get superb performances out of all his actors; the story weaves all the simple complexities of Ami's struggles and issues in life. All of it was beautiful and enjoyable to watch.
It is a touching and unforgettable movie that I will definitely recommend to anyone! Really enjoyed it and I look forward to watching it again!
The picturesque shots of Kyoto in the movie were magical and the cinematography is excellent. The direction is outstanding and the writing and editing are equally compelling. The direction and coordination of some of the scenes are fantastic, making you wonder what happens next. The director manages to get superb performances out of all his actors; the story weaves all the simple complexities of Ami's struggles and issues in life. All of it was beautiful and enjoyable to watch.
It is a touching and unforgettable movie that I will definitely recommend to anyone! Really enjoyed it and I look forward to watching it again!
What a wonderful, nuanced debut. This is a romantic story handled with a delicacy and sweetness befitting of the characters. Long, charming scenes walking through the streets of Kyoto are reminiscent of the Before Sunrise Trilogy.
Great performances and the charming architecture and scenery you'd expect from this picturesque region. Some of the cultural themes around mixed race, foreigners and their attitudes were fascinating to me as a westerner.
Recommended for fans of meandering romance.
Great performances and the charming architecture and scenery you'd expect from this picturesque region. Some of the cultural themes around mixed race, foreigners and their attitudes were fascinating to me as a westerner.
Recommended for fans of meandering romance.
Just finished watching this wonderful film and feel a need to share my thoughts right away.
First off, as I was watching the initial half hour or so , it reminded me of a great BBC series called A YEAR IN PROVENCE because, in a similar fashion, it captured the quotidian life of a small kimono shop owner in Kyoto in a purely entertaining way. In this case though, the main character isn't a fish out of water, but the film took the very challenging approach of revealing the complexities of her life through the interaction with an "outsider".
Not going to say any spoilers but by the end of the film I felt I could understand more deeply several characters' points of view that I wouldn't really have understood before. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't know much about the film going in because these aren't the type of characters I'd normally find sympathetic at all. Yet the film, skillfully and subtly, led me down a new path and by the end I felt I missed the characters and their world and sympathized with their choices, strengths and vulnerabilities.
First off, as I was watching the initial half hour or so , it reminded me of a great BBC series called A YEAR IN PROVENCE because, in a similar fashion, it captured the quotidian life of a small kimono shop owner in Kyoto in a purely entertaining way. In this case though, the main character isn't a fish out of water, but the film took the very challenging approach of revealing the complexities of her life through the interaction with an "outsider".
Not going to say any spoilers but by the end of the film I felt I could understand more deeply several characters' points of view that I wouldn't really have understood before. Honestly, I'm glad I didn't know much about the film going in because these aren't the type of characters I'd normally find sympathetic at all. Yet the film, skillfully and subtly, led me down a new path and by the end I felt I missed the characters and their world and sympathized with their choices, strengths and vulnerabilities.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Impossible to imagine
- Filming locations
- Kyoto, Japan(location)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- ¥1,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime
- 1h 30m(90 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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