Love Letter
Hiroko is still in the depths of grief from losing her fiancé Itsuki Fujii in a tragic mountain-climbing accident. On the day of his two-year memorial service, Hiroko finds an old address of Itsuki’s, and sends him a letter. Shockingly, she receives a reply, from a woman who also happens to be named Itsuki Fujii. As the two women exchange letters, coincidences and memories of Hiroko’s fiancé bring them together in ways they could have never imagined.
“Extremely attractive and succulently filmed” (Variety) by writer-director Shunji Iwai in his feature debut, Love Letter was a box-office phenomenon upon its initial release and has been hailed as “gloriously brilliant” and the “greatest romance story from Japan” (Asian Movie Pulse). Film Movement Classics presents the film in a new 4K restoration.
Director & Cast
- Director: Shunji Iwai
- Starring: Miho Nakayama
- Starring: Etsushi Toyokawa
- Starring: Bunjaku Han
- Starring: Takashi Kashiwabara
- Starring: Miki Sakai
Where to Watch
Trailer
Photos
Reviews
- "“Love Letter” is an extremely attractive and succulently filmed love story given several unusual twists by talented first-time writer-director Shunji Iwai. Magnificent widescreen camerawork by Noboru Shinoda and a fine cast are extra pluses."
- "This movie is gloriously brilliant in its evocation of sentimentality and nostalgia for things long gone… Many reviewers hail “Love Letter” as the greatest romance story from Japan. To me, it is the greatest sentimental story ever told."
- "One of the big box-office successes of the nineties and starring one of the most popular young women of J-pop, Love Letter could easily have turned out to be a wide-screen Hallmark TV movie, but it is in fact an often charming and insightful story about lost love in its many forms."
- "[A] profoundly moving romantic melodrama.... A huge hit and pop culture phenomenon throughout Asia on its 1995 release, Iwai’s first theatrical feature bears many of the hallmarks of his enduring style in its soft focus, ethereal lighting and emphasis on nostalgia as the two women at the film’s centre each restore something to the other through their serendipitous correspondence."
- "A triumphant first feature for Shunji Iwai.... Miho Nakamaya's performance is superb: finely shaded and balanced, it animates the entire movie. Love Letter's editing and cinematography deserve top billing, along with its director."
Newcomer of the Year
Awards of the Japanese Academy
Popularity Award
Awards of the Japanese Academy
Best Actress
Blue Ribbon Awards
6 Awards inc. Best Film, Director
Yokohama Film Festival
Toronto Int'l. Film Festival
Hong Kong Int'l. Film Festival
Tokyo Int'l. Film Festival
Shanghai Int'l. Film Festival
Now Playing
Venue |
City |
State |
Begins |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metrograph | New York City | NY | June 5, 2026 | |
| Digital Gym Cinema | San Diego | CA | June 9, 2026 | |
| Cinema Moderne | Montreal | QC | June 17, 2026 | |