Part of the 2023 season: Always Evolving

Hold Me Back

Watashi wo kuitomete, 私をくいとめて

Director OHKU Akiko

Cast Non, HAYASHI Kento, USUDA Asami

2020, 133 min, English Subtitles

Thirty-one–year-old Mitsuko (Non) is, on the surface, enjoying her solo life. She cooks for herself, dines on her own, goes to the spa alone, and visits her friend in Italy all by herself. But she is not as alone as you may think. She has her own adviser in her head with whom she often holds conversations: ‘A’ (voiced by NAKAMURA Tomoya). A provides Mitsuko with answers when she feels insecure. It seemed that her peaceful single life with A will continue unchanged until she falls in love with Tada (HAYASHI Kento), a young salesman. Mitsuko decides to take a step forward together with her inner A. Will she be able to break out of her comfort zone of being alone?

Based on a novel by WATAYA Risa, this film portrays the life of the ever-growing unmarried solos in Tokyo. Gaining sympathy from the large singles community both inside and outside of Japan, this award-winning film handles the hidden loneliness of a young woman in Japanese contemporary society with a humorous tone.

© 2020 “Hold Me Back” Film Partners

Past screenings