Sidonie in Japan (2024)
Sidonie in Japan (2024), directed by Elise Girard, starring Isabelle Huppert and Tsuyoshi Ihara.
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Synopsis
Sidonie Perceval, an established French writer, is mourning her deceased husband. Invited to Japan for the reedition of her first book, she is welcomed by her local editor who takes her to Kyoto, the city of shrines and temples. As they travel together through the Japanese spring blossoms, she slowly opens up to him. But the ghost of her husband follows Sidonie: she will have to finally let go of the past to let herself love again.
- Céline BozonCinematography
- Elise GirardDirector, Writer
- Thomas GlaserEditing
- Antoine MorandProducer
About the film
Sidonie in Japan (French: Sidonie au Japon) is a 2023 romantic drama film co-written and directed by Élise Girard, starring Isabelle Huppert, Tsuyoshi Ihara and August Diehl. It follows a middle aged French widow and writer traveling to Japan.
The film had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 2023. It was theatrically released in France on 3 April 2024 by Art House Films.
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Sidonie in Japan (French: Sidonie au Japon) is a 2023 romantic drama film co-written and directed by Élise Girard, starring Isabelle Huppert, Tsuyoshi Ihara and August Diehl. It follows a middle aged French widow and writer traveling to Japan.
The film had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 2023. It was theatrically released in France on 3 April 2024 by Art House Films.
Premise
Established French writer Sidonie Perceval mourns her late husband, Antoine, while traveling to Japan for a reedition of her first book. While there, she begins an affair with her mysterious Japanese publisher, Kenzo, while the ghost of her husband begins appearing.
Cast
Isabelle Huppert as Sidonie
Tsuyoshi Ihara as Kenzo Mizoguchi
August Diehl as Antoine
Production
Girard drew inspiration for the film from her first trip to Japan that she made to promote her 2011 film Belleville-Tokyo. The film is a co-production of France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan. It is one of the last works of co-writer Sophie Fillières, who died two months before its premiere.
Release
Sidonie in Japan had its world premiere in the Giornate degli Autori section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 2023. The film was released theatrically in France on 3 April 2024 by Art House Films and in Germany on 11 July 2024 by Majestic Filmverleih.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 56% of 9 critics' reviews are positive.
References
External links
Sidonie in Japan at IMDb
Text from Sidonie in Japan on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidonie_in_Japan
Trivia
- It grossed US$ 1.4 million worldwide.
- It premiered on January 11, 2024, a Thursday.
- It runs 1h35 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "Sidonie au Japon".
- As of September 20, 2026, it is available in Brazil by subscription on Reserva Imovision, Reserva Imovision Amazon Channel.
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosLupa Film, Film-in-Evolution, 10:15! Productions, Box Productions, Mikino, Les Films du Camélia, Fourier Films
- CountriesFrance, Germany, Japan, Switzerland
- LanguagesFrench, Japanese
- Box officeUS$ 1,441,031
- StatusReleased
Where to watch
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Reserva Imovision
Streaming
Rent
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Reserva Imovision Amazon Channel
Streaming
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Apple TV Store
Rent
Buy
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Amazon Video
Rent
Buy
Cast
-
Isabelle Huppert
Sidonie Perceval -
Tsuyoshi Ihara
Kenzo Mizoguchi -
August Diehl
Antoine Perceval - Yuoko Hitomi Noriko Tamaguchi
- Aurora Catalano Stewardess aéroport CDG
- Yusuke Kitaguchi Employé aéroport
- Masumi Fukushi Cliente hôtel
- Keiko Hara Cliente hôtel
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Tomoko Abe
Journaliste -
Hidetoshi Kawaya
Groom hôtel Kyoto
Quiz about this movie
Questions from the whole catalogue.
Play nowIf you liked this one
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A Vida em um Ano Drama from the 2020s
8.2
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Um Novo Olhar
6.1
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Ponto de Decisão
6.3
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Questão de Vida
6.1
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Medos Privados em Lugares Públicos
6.4
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Olá, Adeus e Tudo Mais Drama from the 2020s
6.1
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O Que Realmente Importa
7.0
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A Partida
6.3
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Meu Eterno Primeiro Amor Drama from the 2020s
7.0
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My First Time
6.6
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O Melhor de Mim
7.5
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O Lenço Amarelo
6.3
Crew
- Céline Bozon Cinematography
- Elise Girard Director
- Thomas Glaser Editing
- Antoine Morand Producer
- Sébastien Haguenauer Producer
- Yu Shibuya Producer
- Gérard Massini Original music
- Elise Girard Writer
- Maud Ameline Writer
- Sophie Fillières Writer
Questions about this film
What is Sidonie in Japan about?
Sidonie in Japan: Sidonie Perceval, an established French writer, is mourning her deceased husband. Invited to Japan for the reedition of her first book, she is welcomed by her local editor who takes her to Kyoto, the city of shrines and temples. As they travel together through the Japanese spring blossoms, she slowly opens up to him.…
Who directed Sidonie in Japan?
Sidonie in Japan was directed by Elise Girard in 2024.
Who stars in Sidonie in Japan?
The cast of Sidonie in Japan includes Isabelle Huppert, Tsuyoshi Ihara, August Diehl, Yuoko Hitomi and Aurora Catalano.
How long is Sidonie in Japan?
Sidonie in Japan runs for 95 minutes, or 1h35.
Where can I watch Sidonie in Japan?
Sidonie in Japan is available on Reserva Imovision, Reserva Imovision Amazon Channel, Apple TV Store and Amazon Video. Availability changes often: the list on this page is the most recent we received.
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Page updated on 09/12/2026.
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