Suddenly

Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira) runs a residential care center in Paris and tries to introduce Humanitude there, a care philosophy that places the wishes and dignity of the elderly at the center. However, her approach clashes with the commercial logic of management and with overworked staff who hardly have time to put her ideals into practice. When she meets Mari (Tao Okamoto), a terminally ill Japanese theater director, an unexpected and close friendship develops between the two women. Through their conversations about illness, old age, art, and mortality, Marie-Lou also looks differently at her own ideas about care and dignity. What begins as an encounter between two women grows into an emotional and philosophical drama about how we deal with illness, old age, and people who need care. After the acclaimed Evil Does Not Exist, Oscarwinnaar Ryūsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) films outside Japan for the first time. He connects their personal story with sharp questions about a care system where time, attention, and humanity increasingly clash with efficiency and profit. Hamaguchi turns this contemplative journey into almost a form of cinematic therapy: a warm, meditative, and surprisingly life-affirming film that ultimately leaves you feeling recharged rather than exhausted. Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto were jointly awarded the prize for Beste Actrice at Cannes. Preview on Nov 11 at 14:00