CFF // Shoplifters (Manbiki kazoku)

 

Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2018 and hailed as among Hirokazu Kore-eda’s (Still Walking; Like Father, Like Son) best work, Shoplifters is a complex drama about a poverty-stricken Tokyo family (Lily Franky, Sakura Andô, Kirin Kiki, Kairi Jyo and Mayu Matsuoka) who routinely turn to petty thieving to make ends meet. 

 

Despite the continued hardships of their existence, they take in a homeless girl and live happily together until an unforeseen incident tests the strength of their bond. An incredibly satisfying film composed of delicate brushstrokes, Shoplifters gives rare prominence to Japan’s urban underclass and questions the possibilities of survival in the margins with insight, humour and compassion.

 

★★★★★ “masterfully crafted, humane film” JOSEPH OWEN