“In My Father’s Room,” a drama competing in the San Sebastian Film Festival, marks the feature directorial debut of Maha Harada, a bestselling Japanese author. The film is adapted from Harada’s own short story titled “An Unnecessary Man” and carries the Japanese title “Muyou no Hito.”
The cast includes Aoi Yu, known for “Wife of a Spy,” alongside Ogata Issey, Nagayama Eita, and Watanabe Eri. Cinematographer Kitagawa Yoshio, who previously worked on “Evil Doesn’t Exist” and “Lost Land,” shot the production.
The narrative centers on Satomi, an art museum employee who discovers a key in an envelope following her father’s death. The key opens a room he left behind, and through exploring its contents, Satomi investigates his final days and discovers a man whose life centered around language, tea ceremony, and finding beauty in overlooked aspects of existence.
Harada has published extensively since 2006, with over 10 million copies of her books sold. Her professional background includes training in Japanese literature and art history, along with work at a trading company and museums including New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Her published novels include works with art-related themes.
Bitters End will manage both international sales and the film’s Japan release, scheduled for January 2027. The distributor has a history spanning more than 30 years of bringing auteur cinema to Japanese audiences and has produced films that have won recognition at major festivals, including the Academy Award-winning “Drive My Car.”
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