After a long and unsuccessful struggle to get pregnant, Satoko and her husband decide to adopt a child. Over the next six years, the middle-class couple and their young son Asato settle into a comfortable, albeit routine, life. The family’s orderly existence is shattered by the arrival of Hikari, a young woman claiming to be Asato’s biological mother, demanding his return. As tensions mount, Satoko grows more and more emboldened to defend her family.

Japan's official submission for the Academy Awards, TRUE MOTHERS is a “deeply touching celebration of women who assume duties of love, support and compassion” (Awards Watch).

“A scintillating act of discretion – or, if you are disinclined to trust Bonello, of evasion... fueled by insinuation and fascination.” –The New York Times (Critic's Pick)

“One of Naomi Kawase's best films to date, a thoughtful drama about the shame associated with unconventional motherhood.” –Seventh Row

DIRECTED BY NAOMI KAWASE
JAPAN, FRANCE | 2020 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES