Issue:
September 2026 | Film Committee
Join the Film Committee at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, September 16 for a sneak preview of Koji Fukada’s first film in Official Competition at Cannes, Nagi Notes. The acclaimed auteur is known for exploring dark, twisted themes in his work, making his latest a real departure. Set in the small mountain town of Nagi, Okayama, and anchored by a trio of perfectly calibrated performances, Nagi Notes is a lyrical exploration of art, the natural environment and human connections with both. The film opens with the arrival in town of Yuri (Shizuka Ishibashi), a successful architect from Tokyo, who’s reached both a professional and personal impasse. She has come to spend time with her friend and former sister-in-law Yoriko (Takako Matsu), a sculptor and art teacher who was born and raised in Nagi. As Yuri poses and Yoriko sculpts her bust, the two women reconnect and begin sharing confidences that were long hidden. They also interact with local residents, including Yoriko’s widowed classmate Yoshihiro (Kenichi Matsuyama), two best-friend teens who are faced with imminent separation, and a benign ghost. The seemingly tranquil days in Nagi gradually reveal emotional landscapes shaped by loss, solitude and the search for “freedom from acceptance”—and the film’s gentle rhythms feel immensely invigorating. Fukada will be on hand for the Q&A following the screening. (Nagi Notes, Japan/France/Singapore/Philippines, 2026, 110 minutes, Japanese with English subtitles)
Karen Severns is chair of the FCCJ Film Committee
