All of a Sudden

Acclaimed Academy Award-winning director Rysuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car, Evil Does Not Exist) returns to the Festival with a compassionate contemplation of human connection in our fractured, modern world.

All of a Sudden follows Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira), the impassioned director of a Paris-based elder care facility as she attempts to introduce a radical new philosophy to the instituion—one that centers listening, responding, and respecting residents’ dignity. Burnt out and struggling with resistance from her staff, a chance encounter with experimental theater director Mari (Tao Okamoto) reignites her resolve. The two women form a deep, transcendent bond over the course of a single night, and their unexpected friendship reshapes their lives in profound, mysterious ways.

Anchored by a pair of dazzling performances (Efira and Okamoto shared the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival), All of a Sudden bursts with emotion as it expertly dissects the structures of modern life and offers a road map for an alternative path.