The latest film by director KANEKO Masakazu, River Returns, will be screened at this year’s Hiroshima International Film Festival 2025.

KANEKO, whose previous works The Albino’s Trees and Ring Wandering were also screened at the festival, once again brings his distinct poetic vision to the screen.

Based on the novel Nagaragawa: Stand by Me 1950 by MATSUDA Yuya, the film draws inspiration from the folklore and legends of the Nagara River basin in Gifu Prefecture.

Set in 1958, as Japan was entering its period of rapid economic growth, the story quietly depicts, through the eyes of a young boy, the “memory shared between humans and nature” and the “prayers that dwell within the land.”

The film’s production design is by HEYA Kyoko, representative of the Hiroshima International Film Festival, who meticulously recreates the atmosphere of the region and the texture of the era, supporting KANEKO’s lyrical world through visual beauty.

River Returns is a deeply moving feature that further explores the recurring themes in KANEKO’s work—coexistence with nature, loss, and rebirth.

Film Information
Title: River Returns
Director: KANEKO Masakazu
Distributor: Culture Publishers
Japan / 2024 / 108 min