Look Back

Outgoing fourth-grader Fujino is determined to pursue her calling as a manga artist. As the sole comic strip contributor to her student paper, Fujino hesitates when her teacher encourages her to join forces with the reclusive Kyomoto, a talented illustrator who hasn’t left her room in years. When the two girls finally connect, they unexpectedly bond, building a friendship fueled by their shared passion. The former rivals become close collaborators, but just as the duo’s career is about to skyrocket, Kyomoto starts to question where her ambitions truly lie.

Auteur and Festival favorite Kore-eda Hirokazu (Shoplifters, Monster) brings gentleness and grace to his live-action adaptation of celebrated manga artist Tatsuki Fujimoto’s (Chainsaw Man) beloved, semi-autobiographical one-shot. Shot on 35mm, rich images evocatively capturing small-town life across the seasons in northern Japan are complemented by the textured soundscape of the girls at work—pens moving furiously on the page as they draw together for hours on end. An ode to the artistic spirit, Look Back celebrates the life-giving force of the act of creation.