The film "There's a Stone," for which Wang Shu is in charge of the music, is scheduled for release on Friday, September 6th, and the poster visual has been released.

A “modern vacation film” that effortlessly escapes from meaning and purpose.
This much-talked-about film that has received worldwide acclaim is finally being released in theaters.
“For some reason, my heart trembles at the sheer meaninglessness of it all.”

Director Ota Tatsunari began writing the screenplay after an experience he had while picking up stones on a trip with a friend. Without any plans for distribution or release, he created the film There Is a Stone with a small number of staff and cast members whom he completely trusted.
The film, which has a simple plot of two people who meet on a river and spend a brief moment together, beautifully captures the richness of emotions and coincidences, and has been invited to over 10 international film festivals around the world, starting with the Berlin International Film Festival, and won the Grand Prix in the International Competition category at the Jeonju International Film Festival. Furthermore, the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema, which has produced Godard and Truffaut, gave the film an unusual review slot for a Japanese film, and the Korean film magazine FILO featured the film on over 20 pages.
Gregory Oak, cinematographer of Aftersun, praised the film, saying, “It’s so beautiful, so moving. It’s very difficult to convey depth in such a simple way.”
The film received love calls from movie fans all over the world.

Director Ota Tatsunari studied under Kurosawa Kiyoshi and Suwa Atsuhiko at the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School.
His graduation project “Bundesliga” was selected for the PFF Awards and Spain’s FILMADRID Awards.
In recent years, he has also worked as a staff member on films such as “Every Night I Remember” (directed by Kiyohara Tadashi), “Oasis” (directed by Okawa Keiko), and “SUPER HAPPY FOREVER” (directed by Igarashi Kohei).
“There’s a Stone” will be his first theatrically released film.
The main cast includes Ogawa Anto, who has starred in a number of films including “Song of the Distant Future” (directed by Sugita Kyoji) and “PLASTIC” (directed by Miyazaki Daisuke), and Kano Tsuyoshi, who is also known as the director of the documentary film “The Sinking Family” and was selected for the lead role despite having no acting experience.
He gave excellent performances in both the main character, who goes on an unexpected journey in a suburban town he visits by chance, and the mysterious man he meets by the river.
The staff includes Kiyohara Tadashi, director of “Every Night I Remember,” Okawa Keiko, editor of “Everything at Dawn,” and Huang Yongchang, sound engineer of “Song of the Distant Future.”
The music is by singer-songwriter Wang Shu.

The poster visual that was just released was designed by graphic designer/art director Asuka Wakita, who has previously worked on the design of the “Doraemon” 50th anniversary poster and the book “The Man Who Boils Momo” (written by Kudo Rain, published by Mishimasha).
The photo shows the two main cast members stacking stones on a riverbank, with a “stone” placed in the upper right corner and the English title “There is a Stone” written in large yellow letters in the background.
The result is a simple yet impactful design.

【story】

The protagonist (Ogawa An) is visiting a suburban town on business for a travel agency when she meets a man (Kano Tsuchi) who is draining water by the river. She carefully measures the distance between them, but before she knows it, the two of them start walking upstream.

[Overseas reviews]

It was very beautiful and very moving.
I think it’s extremely difficult to express depth so simply.
This film was weighty and cool, like a rock.
Aftersun, photography by Gregory Oak

The film is an exploration of leisure, an ode to purpose, a celebration of non-productivity and serendipity, and all these combine to create a compelling story.
Christiana Nord, former head of the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival

“There’s a Stone” quietly makes Ota Tatsuya known as a person to watch.
Screen Daily

[Film Festival]

Grand Prize, International Competition Section, 24th Jeonju International Film Festival, Korea
Forum Section, 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
Japan “23rd TOKYO FILMeX” Made in Japan category
Spain “8th Novos Cinemas” Jury Special Award
Croatia “16th Subversive Festival”
Poland “23rd New Horizon International Film Festival”
Brazil “47th Sao Paulo International Film Festival”
Hong Kong “20th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival”
Korea “1st NamDo Film Festival”
Austria “7th JAPANNUAL”

Movie “There is a Stone”

Japan/2022/104min/Color Standard/5.1ch/DCP
Director and scriptwriter: Tatsuya Ota
Cast: An Ogawa, Tsuchi Kano
Sota Inagaki, Yuta Inagaki, Hide, Kosuke Setoyama, and Koryu Yamashita
Takeo Gozu, Chaco
Producers: Sachihiko Tanaka, Kotaro Kimura
Cinematographer: Yuji Fukaya | Sound: Naru Sakamoto | Audio Editing: Yongchang Huang | Editing: Keiko Okawa | Production: Koji Toyama | Assistant Director: Hikaru Nakajima | Assistant Cameraman: Ryo Anraku | Composite: Toru Katayama | Assistant Director: Tadashi Kiyohara | Stills: Madoka Shibasaki | Music: Shu Oh
Produced and distributed by inasato | Production cooperation by Ippo | Distribution cooperation by NOBO, Skin-kicking light rays | Visual design by Asuka Wakita | Site production by Kanade Asakura | Promotion by Norimi Idonuma | Promotion cooperation by Punkte
Special sponsor: Compass Inc. | Sponsor: NiEW

◆Official website ⇒ https://ishi-ga-aru.jp/

◆X(formerly Twitter) ⇒ https://x.com/ishi_ga_aru/

◆Instagram ⇒ https://www.instagram.com/ishi_ga_aru/

Released nationwide on Friday, September 6, 2024 at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, Polepole Higashi Nakano and other theaters!