THE JAPANESE DOG (Tudor Cristian Jurgiu 2013)

This is a sweet and touching film that captures the feel of a small rural community in southern Romania. The Japanese Dog is one of my favorite films.  It is the story of a man,  Costache, whose life has been swept away in a flood. His home has been destroyed, his wife has died. Costache is slowly putting his life back together piece by piece, when his son comes home to visit from Japan.  The son has been away for many years and brings with him his wife and young son.  Costache and his son gently become reacquainted. 

It is a beautiful story of love and family, Costache meets his grandson and daughter in law for the first time, which seems to be the universe giving back after suffering such tremendous loss. The film gives a view of Romanian landscape, the cinematography is amazing, the countryside is stunning. The film is quite slow paced and focuses on detail and character development. The film tells a touching story of a man, a  strong and dignified man who is ultimately brave enough to follow his heart.