Kazuo Ishiguro’s debut novel “A Pale View of Hills,” which earned him the Royal Society of Literature Award in 1982, will be adapted into a Japan-UK co-produced film, set for nationwide release in the summer of 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Ishiguro, known for his highly acclaimed film adaptations such as “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go,” penned “A Pale View of Hills” in 1982. The story begins with Nikki, a Londoner with a Japanese mother and British father, who drops out of university to pursue a writing career. She visits her estranged mother’s home in the suburbs of London after the death of her half-sister. Nikki knows nothing of her mother Etsuko’s past, who survived the atomic bombing in Nagasaki and later moved to England. While living alone in a house filled with memories after losing her husband and eldest daughter, Etsuko begins to share dreams about a woman and her young daughter she met in Nagasaki. The narrative unfolds as a human mystery, exploring the secrets of memory across the post-war 1950s Nagasaki and 1980s England.
The film will be directed by Kei Ishikawa, whose previous work ‘A Man’ (2022) had its world premiere in the Horizons section at the 79th Venice International Film Festival and won a record eight awards, including Best Picture, at the 46th Japan Academy Awards. Following his feature debut with ‘The Inerasable’ (2017), Ishikawa received acclaim for adapting Riku Onda’s best-selling novel ‘Honeybees and Distant Thunder’ (2019), which earned him the Japan Film Award and the Excellence Award at the 43rd Japan Academy Awards.
The lead role of Etsuko will be played by Suzu Hirose, who gained popularity through the ‘Chihayafuru’ trilogy and won the Best New Actor Award at the 39th Japan Academy Awards for ‘Our Little Sister’ (2015) and the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 41st Japan Academy Awards for ‘The Third Murder’ (2017).
The project is produced by Hiroyuki Ishiguro, known for his work as a producer on Mamoru Hosoda’s ‘Belle’ (2021). Ishiguro is affiliated with the production group “Bunbuku” founded by Hirokazu Kore-eda, and will collaborate with Miyuki Fukuma, who produced short film anthology ‘Ten Years Japan’ (2018), international co-productions ‘The Truth’ (2019) and ‘Broker’ (2022), as well as the British independent production company Number 9 Films, known for producing ‘Carol’ (2015) and ‘Living’ (2023), both of which have been featured at major international film festivals and received acclaim at the British and American Academy Awards.
Kazuo Ishiguro, a self-proclaimed fan of Ishikawa’s ‘A Man,’ will join as an executive producer for the adaptation. Comments from Ishiguro, Ishikawa, and Hirose have also been released to mark the film’s announcement.
Comment
Kazuo Ishiguro: I have been a huge fan of Director Kei Ishikawa’s previous film A Man, and from the very first day he expressed his desire to adapt my novel Klara and the Sun into a film, I was thrilled. Ishikawa is a director who skillfully manipulates the language of cinema and draws out remarkable nuanced performances from his actors. The brilliant script I have read, which captivated me, is both mysterious and moving. Suzu Hirose, who stars in the film, is one of the most exciting young actors on the international stage today. For these reasons, I am eagerly looking forward to the completion of this film. The story itself depicts the longing, hope, and fear of people living in Japan during the rapidly changing period after World War II and the atomic bombings. As we approach the 80th anniversary of that horrific event, it is profoundly fitting for this film to be released at this time, continuing to cast its shadow over us.
Kei Ishikawa: I’m currently writing this while on a flight to London, amidst the ongoing filming of the project. I can hardly believe that we are actually adapting this extraordinary source material into a film with our own hands. The courage to tackle this monumental work came from Kazuo Ishiguro’s words: ‘I believed that this story should be visualized by a young generation in Japan.’ Suzu Hirose, who has already completed her part, was undeniably the embodiment of Etsuko living in post-war Nagasaki (she was truly amazing!), and we have assembled the best possible cast and crew. From the UK, Number 9 Films, which has produced many masterpieces that greatly influenced my own youth, is involved. I am definitely sensing that something special is coming together. Please look forward to the film’s release next year.
Suzu Hirose: I performed with a sense of anxiety every day. It was challenging, and I struggled a lot, but each time I felt a disquieting tension, I was convinced I was getting closer to Etsuko. Being able to act among such a supportive cast and crew has been a truly treasured experience. With hope and aiming towards the light. Though it might be early, I’m eagerly looking forward to the day when it reaches everyone.
A Pale View of Hills
Original Work: “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro, translated by Ken Onodera (Hayakawa Bunko)
Director, Screenwriter, and Editor: Kei Ishikawa (“A Man,” “Man of the Earth”)
Starring: Suzu Hirose
Production Coordinator: U-NEXT
Production: Bunpuku / The Fool, Number 9 Films
Distribution: GAGA
© “The Remains of the Day” Production Committee
Synopsis:
Niki, who has a Japanese mother and an English father, lives in London. Having dropped out of university to pursue a career as a writer, she visits her mother’s suburban family home, which she has avoided since the death of her half-sister, to work on her manuscript. Niki’s mother, Etsuko, experienced the atomic bomb in Nagasaki and moved to England after the war, but Niki knows nothing about her mother’s past. Now living alone in a house full of memories after losing her husband and eldest daughter, Etsuko begins to talk about a recurring “dream” she has been having, involving a woman and her young daughter whom she met when she was still living in Nagasaki.
