Norwegian Wood

Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo) brings a perfectly honed outsider's eye to this delicate, visually ravishing adaptation of Haruki Murakami's lyrical bestselling novel. Set in the late-60s when Tokyo universities were rife with political unrest, Watanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama) is a student whose deepening relationship with the emotionally fragile Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi of Babel fame) is haunted by the spectre of a past tragedy. Caught between her emotional and then geographical retreat and the expanding world of college life, Watanabe's loyalty is tested by adventurous best friend and dilettante Nagasawa (Tetsuji Tamayama) and the enchanting and strikingly independent Midori (impressive newcomer Kiko Mizuhara). The themes of awakening, loss and melancholy that ripple through both the novel and The Beatles song from which it derives its name are perfectly accentuated by an evocative score from Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, gorgeous production design and Mark Lee Ping Bin's lush cinematography (Lee is a regular collaborator of both Tran and Hou Hsiao Hsien's and shared credit with Christopher Doyle on In the Mood for Love).

Australian Premiere

• Awards Best Cinematography, Asian Film Awards; Best Composer, Dubai Film Festival
• Director's Bio Tran Anh Hung grew up in Vietnam and then France, where he attended film school. His acclaimed directorial debut, The Scent of Green Papaya, won the Camera d’Or at Cannes. His second film, Cyclo, won Best Film at the Venice Film Festival. His other films include The Vertical Ray of Sun and I Come with the Rain.