An

Naomi Kawase : 2015
Sweet Red Bean Paste

Sentaro runs a small bakery that serves dorayakis – pastries filled with sweet red bean paste, "an". When an old lady, Tokue, offers to help in the kitchen he reluctantly accepts. But Tokue proves to have magic in her hands when it comes to making "an". Thanks to her secret recipe, the little business soon flourishes. And with time, Sentaro and Tokue will open their hearts to reveal old wounds. An adaption of the original novel by Tetsuya Akikawa, the film evokes the regrets of a lifetime, the self-destruction that goes hand in hand with despair, the distress of feeling useless in the world – but despite that, or because of it, placing so much hope in the future. Naomi Kawase's feature premiered in competition in the Un Certain Regard section at Festival de Cannes 2015.