Rei

"莉(Rei)" by itself has little meaning. There are some kanji that have no meaning by themselves.

However, it is not true that the very existence of these kanji characters has no meaning.

By connecting with others
meaningful for the first time.

"I have no worries about my own. If I had to say, that would be my problem." Matsushita Hikari(光莉) works as an ordinary office worker in Tokyo. After turning 30, she begins to question the value of her existence, and by chance she meets Masato. Masato was a deaf landscape photographer who lived deep in the forests of Hokkaido, far from Tokyo.

Asami is the mother of a child with moderate intellectual disability.

Asami's husband, Kohei, lives under intense pressure from both home and work.

Shinya begins to realize that he wants to monopolize Masato, even though he is Masato's only best friend.

Mitsuru has lived his life loving theater as a stage actor, but due to the influence of Corona, he has strengthened his doubts about the stage world.

Rie, a nurse who continues to have an affair with Kohei.

Daisuke was caught between his mother (Satomi) and younger brother (Masato) and was unable to lead his own life.

Satomi was unable to love her child until just before her death.

Hikari and the people around her gradually connect with each other, and then crumble.

Still, by connecting with someone, they can have meaning for the first time. Like trees standing close to each other as if to endure the harsh winter.

  • TOSHIHIKO TANAKA
    Director
  • TOSHIHIKO TANAKA
    Writer
  • TAKARA SUZUKI
    Key Cast
    "HIKARI MATSUSHITA"
  • MAEKO OYAMA
    Key Cast
    "ASAMI KIMOTO"
  • SHOGO MORIYAMA
    Key Cast
    "KOHEI KIMOTO"
  • AKIO IKEDA
    Key Cast
    "SHINYA SATO"
  • MAYU TANO
    Key Cast
    "RIE SHIRATANI"
  • RYUJI UCHIDA
    Key Cast
    "DAISUKE UCHIMI"
  • MAYUMI TSUKIYAMA
    Key Cast
    "SATOMI UCHIMI"
  • TOSHIHIKO TANAKA
    Key Cast
    "MASATO UCHIMI"
  • TOSHIHIKO TANAKA
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    莉の対
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    3 hours 9 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    12,000,000 JPY
  • Country of Origin:
    Japan
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan
  • Language:
    Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - TOSHIHIKO TANAKA

TOSHIHIKO TANAKA is a Japanese actor based in Tokyo. Mainly active on the stage, he has been appearing in about 12 productions a year for over 10 years. The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on going out became a turning point for him, and during that time, he learned various fields such as video production and editing. In 2022, he established his own company and produced a feature film called "Rei (莉の対)" as his first-year activity. This work was also his first attempt at directing, screenwriting, and producing. He has formed a business partnership with the talent agency he belonged to for 15 years, and his career as an actor continues.

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Director Statement

In February 2022, as soon as the script was completed, TOSHIHIKO and AKIO(Directors of this film) started filming the first scene with just the two of them. At that time, they had no project proposal or funding, and there were no producers, cast, or staff. They completed the first scene and used it as promotional material to gather staff through referrals from the internet and acquaintances. All of the cast were selected through auditions. The staff who gathered were mostly amateurs or those with no experience as film staff. There were also several underage students, but they learned a lot through the process of making the film. In addition, we established a company to raise funds and obtained a loan from a bank. The film's crucial factor, "photography," led to support from Hokkaido Higashikawa-cho, known as the town of photography. The filming period lasted for a whole year. We shot every scene with the guts and power unique to independent filmmakers, such as climbing to the top of Mount Asahi, the highest peak in Hokkaido, in the most severe month of January.

What is noteworthy about the feature film "Rei" is that not only was I the first director, first script writer, and first producer, but most of the staff had no film experience or were amateurs. I myself started making films to explore new possibilities for my career, but I wanted to give not only myself but also the cast and staff the chance to expand their possibilities.

Since the film production started with such a purpose, we did not intend to make it a commercial film from the beginning, and tried to maximize the creativity of each individual.