Winner – Best Feature Film, 2018
After one of their now familiar shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife, Nobuyo, agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she has faced. The family is poor and barely make enough money to survive, crammed into a dilapidated and cluttered apartment with mum, dad, grandma and two children, but they survive through petty crime. Despite their circumstances, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them. Further exploring Kore-eda’s favourite themes of family, Shoplifters shows a side of Japan’s class system that is rarely seen.
Winner Interview, APSA 2018