The Woodsman and the Rain 2011

Katsuhiko Kishi Koji Yakusho lives a quiet, solitary life as a lumberjack in a remote countryside. The tragedy of his wife’s death nearly three years ago still casts a long shadow over him, and his relationship with his only son, Koichi Kishi Kengo Kora, has grown strained as Koichi struggles to meet his father’s expectations.

One day, Katsuhiko crosses paths with the young director Koichi Tanabe Shun Oguri and the chief of the filming crew, Torii Kanji Furutachi. Reluctantly, he agrees to help them find a filming location, and he even ends up being asked to take part in a zombie-walk scene. The next day, he is invited to watch the day’s filmed scenes and, after the screening, shares a chance encounter with the director in a public bath, where he gives Koichi a ride to the train station. Koichi Tanabe is surprised by Katsuhiko’s interest in the project and leaves him the script book, a gesture that hints at an unexpected mentorship forming between them.

While Katsuhiko studies the script, Torii and two other crew members arrive at the station and block Koichi from slipping away to Tokyo. Koichi turns up later at Katsuhiko’s home to retrieve the script, and the two men spend time together in a way that feels almost like father and son, even as Katsuhiko’s own son has gone off to Tokyo.

The following day, Koichi Tanabe must direct the next scenes but feels unsure about how to guide the actors and asks Katsuhiko for his thoughts, since he will be on set all day. Katsuhiko learns that there are very few actors available to portray the anti-zombie battalion and decides to recruit the villagers to participate. The community’s enthusiasm is contagious, and Koichi Tanabe begins to smile for the first time, gaining confidence as a director. He even manages to work with an aging movie star who joins a scene, earning genuine recognition for his growing craft.

Fired up by the project, Katsuhiko skips a day of work and nearly forgets the anniversary of his wife’s death. Relatives arrive to remind him, and the family gathers for the commemorative ceremony. Afterward, one relative speaks with a sharp edge about Katsuhiko’s son, but Katsuhiko defends him firmly, earning his son’s astonished gaze and a renewed sense of pride.

The final day of filming brings rain that threatens to derail the shoot, but with Katsuhiko’s steady guidance, the last scene is captured just between showers. The villagers return to their ordinary routines, and Koichi Tanabe begins directing another film, yet he carries with him a director’s chair crafted by Katsuhiko wherever he goes, a quiet tribute to the unlikely bond and shared dream that brought them together.