TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL: Tender-hearted farewells in 'Departures'

(Credit: Departures)

Answering an ad in the newspaper, a washed-up cellist from Tokyo thinks he's taking a job in a travel agency. But instead of taking care of 'departures,' he discovers to his chagrin the firm actually tends to 'the departed,' in other words, prepping corpses for burial. In "Departures," the Academy Award winner for best foreign language film which is playing at the Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week, Daigo learns from his new boss the ins and outs of Nokanshi, the cleansing and casketing rituals for the deceased. 

Performed with loving care and exacting precision, these ministrations in front of the mourners of wiping, dressing and then transferring the corpse to the casket at first seems strange to Daigo. But as an artist he quickly takes to them, finding satisfaction in helping families say good bye to their loved ones. Unfortunately, his adorable young wife Mika is less than accepting when she learns about his new job. She offers him an ultimatum, either his new work or their marriage.

Director Yojiro Takita offers a window into this unique and beautiful cultural practice. Like a ballet dancer in a one-sided pas de deux, the preparation of the dead bodies is mesmerizing. The process of mourning and grief may be messy but watching "Departures" you can see how in Japan their graceful traditions, passed down through the generations, can help the bereaved find closure. Sweet and sad, this Tribeca entry made us a little weepy.