Latest feature Films
The Last Blossom
Akutsu, a former yakuza, recounts his life story to a plant from his deathbed in prison. Baku Kinoshita unfolds a web of choices and questions of conscience that gives his idiosyncratically drawn characters unexpected depth.
In the prison cell of former Yakuza gang member Akutsu, there is a hōsenka flower. When it suddenly begins to speak to the elderly inmate, the dying Akutsu seizes the opportunity to tell the plant about his life. Akutsu’s memories take us back to the summer of 1986, when he meets Nana and her young son and, for the first time, the hope of a different life begins to take root. Yet financial hardship and the violence of the Yakuza crime syndicate continue to haunt him.
Set between the past and present, a poignant drama unfolds about missed opportunities, the burden of one’s own decisions and the question of whether reconciliation is still possible, even at the end of a life.
“The Last Blossom” is Japanese director Baku Kinoshita’s feature-film debut. Prior to this, he had co-developed the acclaimed series “Odd Taxi” with screenwriter Kazuya Konomoto. Rather than relying on spectacular action, Kinoshita opts for understated direction, minimalist animation and precise character observation. Following its world premiere at the Annecy Festival in 2025, the film has captivated audiences as a poetic reflection on a life caught between hope and violence and is now celebrating its Swiss premiere at Fantoche. (Xenia Nguyen)
In the prison cell of former Yakuza gang member Akutsu, there is a hōsenka flower. When it suddenly begins to speak to the elderly inmate, the dying Akutsu seizes the opportunity to tell the plant about his life. Akutsu’s memories take us back to the summer of 1986, when he meets Nana and her young son and, for the first time, the hope of a different life begins to take root. Yet financial hardship and the violence of the Yakuza crime syndicate continue to haunt him.
Set between the past and present, a poignant drama unfolds about missed opportunities, the burden of one’s own decisions and the question of whether reconciliation is still possible, even at the end of a life.
“The Last Blossom” is Japanese director Baku Kinoshita’s feature-film debut. Prior to this, he had co-developed the acclaimed series “Odd Taxi” with screenwriter Kazuya Konomoto. Rather than relying on spectacular action, Kinoshita opts for understated direction, minimalist animation and precise character observation. Following its world premiere at the Annecy Festival in 2025, the film has captivated audiences as a poetic reflection on a life caught between hope and violence and is now celebrating its Swiss premiere at Fantoche. (Xenia Nguyen)
Info
Duration 90'
Country JP, 2025