All of a Sudden

Plot

Director of a care facility for the elderly, Marie-Lou strives to introduce an innovative care philosophy based on listening and respecting residents’ dignity, despite resistance from part of her staff. Her encounter with Mari, a Japanese theater director battling cancer, will profoundly reshape her path. By forming a deep, supportive friendship, the two women join forces in a shared struggle to make the impossible possible.

About All of a Sudden

All of a Sudden (French: Soudain, lit. 'Suddenly'; Japanese: 急に具合が悪くなる, romanized: Kyū ni guai ga waruku naru, lit. 'Suddenly Feeling Unwell') is a 2026 drama film directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, in his French-language debut. Co-written by Hamaguchi and Léa Le Dimna, it is loosely based on the non-fiction book You and I – The Illness Suddenly Get Worse by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono. A co-production between France, Japan, Germany and Belgium, it stars Virginie Efira as the director of a nursing home in the Parisian suburbs who attempts to introduce a humane care technique known as Humanitude, in spite of resistance. Her life is changed when she meets a terminally ill Japanese playwright named Mari Morisaki (Tao Okamoto). The supporting cast includes Kyōzō Nagatsuka, Kodai Kurosaki, Jean-Charles Clichet, Marie Bunel, Romain Cottard, and Marie Denarnaud. All of a Sudden had its world premiere in the main competition of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on 15 May 2026, where Efira and Okamoto shared the prize for Best Actress. It received widespread critical acclaim, with special praise for its direction, screenplay and acting. It was theatrically released in Japan by Bitters End on 19 June, and in France by Diaphana Distribution on 12 August. It was selected as the Japanese entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images