ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joseph Perry writes for the film websites Gruesome Magazine, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, The Good, the Bad and the Verdict and Diabolique Magazine; for the film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope and Drive-In Asylum; and for the pop culture websites When It Was Cool and Uphill Both Ways. He is also one of the hosts of When It Was Cool’s exclusive Uphill Both Ways podcast and can occasionally be heard as a cohost on Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast.

Director Noriko Yuasa’s Japanese feature Performing Kaoru’s Funeral is an engaging look at laying  to rest someone who people only thought they knew. Lighthearted, poignant, and with both humorous and jaw-droppingly dramatic moments, the film examines the family members, work associates, and other acquaintances of the enigmatic title character (Kano Ichiki), a screenwriter whose life suddenly ended in an accident. 

Kaoru’s will stated that her ex-husband from 10 years earlier, unlucky actor Jun Yokotani (Koji Seki), be the chief mourner at her funeral in the rural village of Okayama, where she grew up. Unsure of what to do while there, he meets a group of people who were close to Kaoru, including her nine-year-old daughter (Chise Niitsu), who doesn’t know who her father is — and she isn’t the only one without that information.

As Performing Kaoru’s Funeral unfolds — with a screenplay by Takato Nishi — its characters and situations provide commentary on different Japanese societal topics including sexism, along with a wry comment on the inability for original films to be greenlighted in Japan. Yuasa paces the film nicely; it breezes along and unveils mysteries, bringing smiles and lumps to the throat in fine fashion, with a stellar ensemble cast, and gorgeous cinematography courtesy of Victor Catalá.

Performing Kaoru’s Funeral screens as part of Japan Cuts 2024, which runs July 10–21. For more information, visit https://japansociety.org/film/japancuts/.