Shinji AOYAMA 青山真治
Shady Grove
Nippon Cinema ª
Rika is an attractive 24-year-old. One day she is left by her boyfriend out of the blue. Being completely desperate, she tries to get him back. To do so, she even hires a private detective to snoop around. Since she has no one to talk to, she just randomly calls any number. And by chance she meets Kono, who is completely cut off from the outside world and hides in his small apartment. A tender relationship develops between the two lonely hearts. SHADY GROVE, by the highly acclaimed young director Shinji AOYAMA, is a beautifully photographed love story with hypnotic calm images.
Japan 1999
99 minutes
Director
Shinji AOYAMA
Script
Shinji AOYAMA, Kumi SATO
Cinematography
Masaki TAMURA
Music
Isao YAMADA, Shinji AOYAMA
Production
Bitters End
World sales
Bitters End
Cast
Urara AWATA, Tomohiro SEKIGUCHI, Yoichiro SAITO, Ken MITSUISHI, Arata IURA
About Shinji AOYAMA
青山真治
Shinji AOYAMA (1964–2022) studied at Rikkyo University before making his first feature film HELPLESS in 1996. In 2000, his film EUREKA received the FIPRESCI Prize, as well as the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, in Cannes. His films were regularly shown at festivals such as Cannes, Venice or Locarno.