“A PALE VIEW OF HILLS” BRINGS KAZUO ISHIGURO’S ACCLAIMED DEBUT NOVEL TO THE SCREEN

Based on the novel from author Kazuo Ishiguro, A Pale View of Hills came to UK cinemas after its premiere at last year's Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. The film brings Ishiguro’s powerful debut to the screen, tracing a story of memory, displacement and the lingering shadows of the past.

It is a story about an aspiring Japanese-British writer who plans to write a book based on her mother Etsuko’s post-war experiences in Nagasaki. Etsuko, haunted by the suicide of her older daughter, begins to recount her memories from 1952 as a young mother-to-be. Her story begins with her encounter with Sachiko, who was full of hope about starting a new life abroad, and her young daughter Mariko, who constantly spoke of an eerie woman. The writer finds something at odds as she confronts the mementoes of her mother’s Nagasaki years, as well as the memories Etsuko shares with her.

The film stars Suzu Hirose (Our Little Sister (2015), Chihayafuru Part 1/ Part 2 (2016), The Third Murder (2017), Wandering (2022), Asura Netflix Series (2025) and Unreachable (2025) as Etsuko and Fumi Nikaido (Himizu (2012), Lesson of the Evil (2012), My Man (2014), Fly Me to the Saitama film series (2019, 2023) and Shogun TV Series (2024) as Sachiko. Directed by Kei Ishikawa, the film was released in UK cinemas on 13th March 2026.

Watch the trailer here.

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