Yoshishige Yoshida - Ningen no yakusoku aka The human promise (1986)

Yoshida returned to feature filmmaking after a hiatus of thirteen years with this brave and moving film about the struggle to maintain dignity in the face of old age and approaching death. The Human Promise reaffirms Yoshida's ability to deal with difficult and even taboo topics by exploring the question of euthanasia with a profound sensitivity and subtlety. The film's unusually frank meditation on death is anchored by the restrained performances by its veteran actors, including Rentaro Mikni, who starred in several of Yoshida's earlier works, including A Story Written on Water. The Human Promise's use of water imagery enriches a motif central to the rich ambiguity at the heart of Yoshida's cinema.(Art Cinema)





Drama / SINOPSIS: Yoshida vuelve a filmar tras un parón de 13 años con un trabajo arriesgado sobre la vejez y la cercanía de la muerte. La Promesa reafirma la habilidad de Yoshida para tratar temas tabú, en este caso la eutanasia, con profunda sensibilidad y personalidad. La película es una franca y poco habitual meditación sobre la muerte. (FILMAFFINITY)





AWARDS

Awards of the Japanese Academy 1987
Nominated Best Actor: Rentarô Mikuni
Best Director: Yoshishige Yoshida

Mainichi Film Concours 1987
Won Best Cinematography: Yoshihiro Yamazaki
Best Supporting Actress: Sachiko Murase

San Sebastián International Film Festival 1986
Won Silver Seashell: Yoshishige Yoshida