Distance (2001): Cast & Plot
Distance is a 2001 drama directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, starring Susumu Terajima as Minoru Kai, Yorie Yamashita and Tadanobu Asano. It runs 2 hours 12 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 12m (132 min)
- Director
- Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- CineRocket
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Distance About?
The premise of Distance without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Three years after a cult’s disastrous chemical attack on Tokyo ended in a mass suicide, the relatives of the victims travel to the cult’s abandoned lakeside headquarters. There, on the shore of the lake, they come together in a solemn ceremony to mark the anniversary and mourn the loss of their loved ones.
Distance Themes & Keywords
· 19 tags- lake
- urban setting
- family relationships
- victim
- trail
- swimming pool
- rice
- religious cult
- mourning
- marriage
- manners
- japan
+7 more Show fewer
- hospital
- handheld camera
- grief
- forest
- flower shop
- fire
- cabin
Distance Cast & Characters
Susumu Terajima leads the cast as Minoru Kai, with Yorie Yamashita as Minoru's ex-wife and Tadanobu Asano as Sakata. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda; 13 actors are credited in all.
- Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
-
Susumu Terajima as Minoru Kai -
Yorie Yamashita as Minoru's ex-wife -
Tadanobu Asano as Sakata - Arata Iura as Atsushi Mizuhara
Also Starring in Distance
· 9 more- Kanji Tsuda Masaru's Elder Brother
- Ken'ichi Endô Tamaki Yamamoto
- Yûsuke Iseya Masaru Enoki
- Ikuji Nakamura Real Boss
- Yui Natsukawa Kiyoka Yamamoto
- Seminosuke Murasugi Miyamura
- Ryo Yuko
- Baijaku Nakamura Detective Kikuma
- Azusa Takehana Azusa
More from Hirokazu Kore-eda
More films directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda: Last Scene, The Center Lane, Ishibumi and Kaidan Horror Classics.
Distance Plot Summary
What happens in Distance from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Three years after a cult sabotaged Tokyo’s water supply, killing hundreds and poisoning thousands, the families of the perpetrators undertake a quiet, heavy pilgrimage to the lake where their ashes were dispersed to mark the anniversary. The story centers on Minoru Kai, Susumu Terajima, and his ex-wife Yorie Yamashita as they approach this fragile ritual with a mix of memory, guilt, and unresolved longing. The mood is somber but lucid, and the actors move through the space with a restrained, searching intensity that invites reflection rather than spectacle.
Full summary
The whole story of Distance, scene by scene
Distance Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Distance.
How Well Do You Know Distance?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
Which actor portrays the former cult member Sakata?
Cars in Distance
13 cars on screen, including the 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and the Kawasaki Eliminator 250 LX.
-
1999 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Important role -
Kawasaki Eliminator 250 LX Minor role -
1991 Toyota Corolla Van Minor role -
Toyota LiteAce Minor role
Distance Also Known As
7 alternative titles, including “Tão Distante” and “距离”.
- Also known as
-
- Tão Distante
- 距离
- Távolság
- 디스턴스
- ディスタンス
- Oddalenie
- 這麼…遠，那麼近
Seen Distance?
Movies Like Distance
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Sea of Trees, Lost Love and Desolation.
Distance FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Distance, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Distance?
Distance runs 2 hours 12 minutes (132 minutes).
When was Distance released?
Distance was released on May 26, 2001.
Who directed Distance?
Distance was directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.
More films by Hirokazu Kore-eda Who is in the cast of Distance?
Distance stars Susumu Terajima as Minoru Kai, Yorie Yamashita as Minoru's ex-wife and Tadanobu Asano as Sakata, among 13 credited actors.
Does Distance have a post-credit scene?
No. Distance has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Distance in?
The original language of Distance is Japanese.
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