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A Pale View of Hills

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Desperate to understand her family's past in Japan before her birth, Niki probes her mother, Etsuko, about their time in Nagasaki. Told through flashbacks, Etsuko recounts the tale of a friend she knew long ago.... Spanning the two timelines, the film is a moving and hopeful account of the generational impact of war and tragedy on one family.

Critics Reviews

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Blake Simons IndieWire A Pale View of Hills doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, but it’s worth that first curious glance. Rated: B- May 18, 2025 Full Review Brian Tallerico RogerEbert.com The misdirection and melodrama morph into something that’s truly difficult to see. May 17, 2025 Full Review Wendy Ide Screen International Memories can morph and reshape as a form of self-protection; not every lie is cynical and purposeful. But while the film toys with these themes and ideas, it gets thoroughly tangled up in its layers of deception and ambiguity. May 15, 2025 Full Review Clarence Tsui South China Morning Post A Pale View of Hills is a lavishly staged film in which Kei Ishikawa and Polish cinematographer Piotr Niemyjski evoke post-war Japanese filmmakers Yasujiro Ozu and Mikio Naruse to maximum effect. Rated: 3.5/5 May 15, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Kei Ishikawa

Director

Suzu Hirose

Niki

Fumi Nikaidô

Actor

Yô Yoshida

Actor

Camilla Aiko

Actor

Kouhei Matsushita

Actor
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A Pale View of Hills

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Movie Info

Synopsis Desperate to understand her family's past in Japan before her birth, Niki probes her mother, Etsuko, about their time in Nagasaki. Told through flashbacks, Etsuko recounts the tale of a friend she knew long ago.... Spanning the two timelines, the film is a moving and hopeful account of the generational impact of war and tragedy on one family.
Director
Kei Ishikawa
Screenwriter
Kei Ishikawa
Genre
Drama, History
Original Language
Japanese