This is the film that kicked off my love affair with asian cinema and I'm really pleased to have finally located it's title after spending most of this year trying to remember what it was! April Story tells of the changes and challenges faced by first year university student, Uzuki Nireno. More like a 3D postcard than a film, this highly visual and peaceful film, sensitively draws a picture of Uzuki's move to Tokyo from the far away island of Hokkaido and the development of her relationships with good friend Saeko, her neighbours and "that boy who works in the bookshop". We soon learn the reason behind Uzuki's choice of university and we watch her life-skills and confidence grow. A short film with a pretty ending that hints at the beginning of romance, director Shunji Iwai (Love Letter, Hana and Alice and All About Lily Chou-Chou) provides a defining example of the contemporary Japanese social drama/romance.
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