Drive My Car

press release: Japan | 2021 | DCP | 179 min. | Japanese with English subtitles

Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi; Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, Reika Kirishima

Two years after his wife’s unexpected death, renowned stage actor and director Yusuke (Nishijima) is assigned a young woman to chauffeur him in his beloved red Saab while he stages a production of Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. As the production’s premiere approaches, tensions mount between Yusuke and a handsome TV star who shares an unwelcome connection to Yusuke’s late wife. Forced to confront painful truths raised from his past, Yusuke begins - with the help of his driver – to face the haunting mysteries his wife left behind. Adapted from Haruki Murakami’s short story, Drive My Car is a haunting road movie traveling a path of love, loss, acceptance, and peace. Best Film of 2022, New York Society of Film Critics.

Screenings mostly take place at 4070 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue. Once-a-month Sunday afternoon screenings take place at the Chazen Museum of Art, 750 University Avenue. In accord with current UW Madison policies, masks are required for entry to our venues. All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public. Please visit our website for a complete listing of programs and descriptions.