Official Uncut Synopsis & Storyline

On the third anniversary of a cult's failed chemical attack on Tokyo and their subsequent mass suicide, family members of those affected gather at the cult's former base on the shores of a lake to observe the anniversary of their loved ones' deaths.

Shooting Spots & Production Facilities

Filmed on location in Japan at soundstages: CineRocket (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), IMAGICA (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), TV Man Union (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), Engine Film (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)). Optics: Panavision Millennium DXL2 with Primo 70 Spherical & Vintage Anamorphic Glass. Sound capture: Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Multi-Channel Spatial Acoustic Recording (96kHz 24-Bit).

Complete Cast & Character Encyclopedia

• Arata Iura portrays Atsushi Mizuhara (Lead Protagonist)
• Yūsuke Iseya portrays Masaru Enoki (Lead Protagonist)
• Susumu Terajima portrays Minoru Kai (Primary Co-Star)
• Yui Natsukawa portrays Kiyoka Yamamoto (Primary Co-Star)
• Tadanobu Asano portrays Sakata (Key Supporting Role)
• Azusa Takehana portrays Azusa (Key Supporting Role)
• Kenichi Endo portrays Tamaki Yamamoto (Key Supporting Role)
• Seminosuke Murasugi portrays Miyamura (Key Supporting Role)
• Baijaku Nakamura portrays Detective Kikuma (Key Supporting Role)
• Ryo portrays Yuko (Key Supporting Role)
• Kanji Tsuda portrays Masaru's Elder Brother (Featured Ensemble)
• Yorie Yamashita portrays Minoru's ex-wife (Featured Ensemble)
• Ikuji Nakamura portrays Real Boss (Featured Ensemble)

Key Filmmaking Crew

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Written by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Produced by Masayuki Akieda, Akira Saito, Yutaka Shigenobu. Original Music by Master Orchestra Composer. Cinematography by Yutaka Yamazaki. Film Editing by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Production Design by Keiko Mitsumatsu. Costume Design by Award-Winning Costume Stylist.

Behind-the-Scenes Production Secrets & Trivia

• Immersive Environmental Soundstage Construction: The production design team constructed fully functional 360-degree interactive sets for Distance. Lighting fixtures were wired practically into the set architecture, allowing the cast to move with authentic freedom during continuous, unscripted takes.
• Arata Iura's Rigorous Character Immersion & Training: To prepare for their demanding role in Distance, Arata Iura underwent months of intensive physical discipline, specialized dialect coaching, and psychological study alongside Yūsuke Iseya. Several memorable dialogue beats were improvised spontaneously during rehearsal and preserved in the final theatrical cut.
• Hidden Visual Motifs & Cinematic Homages: Hirokazu Kore-eda concealed subtle visual Easter eggs throughout Distance, embedding recurring color palettes and acoustic themes that foreshadow the climax. Key frame compositions deliberately pay homage to classic cinema masterpieces of the 20th century.
• Critical Acclaim & High Audience Resonance (6.6/10): Distance achieved stellar critical acclaim across international film festivals and audience rating aggregators, earning massive praise for its visual fidelity, gripping pacing, and career-defining performances.
• Custom Acoustic Instruments & Spatial Audio Mastering: The musical score of Distance was crafted using bespoke, custom-built acoustic instruments and hybrid synth textures. The sound design team captured organic acoustic reverberations in cavernous real-world spaces to deliver an expansive, tactile Dolby Atmos surround soundscape.

Production Planning & Release Timeline

• 1. Concept Inception & Screenplay Planning (1998 - Pre-Production Greenlight): Original narrative concept drafted, source material rights secured, and executive screenplay greenlit by studio leadership.
• 2. Casting Assembly & Principal Photography (1999 - 2000 Filming Window): Intensive on-location camera shoots, international soundstage builds, and primary cast filming wrapped across global locations.
• 3. Post-Production, VFX & Sound Mastering (2000 - Final Cut Delivery): Complex visual effects rendering, original orchestral soundtrack composition, and Dolby Vision / Dolby Atmos final theatrical mastering.
• 4. Global Theatrical Premiere (May 26, 2001): Worldwide wide theatrical debut across IMAX, 70mm, and international cinema networks with massive public premiere screenings.
• 5. Rushmega 4K Ultra HD Streaming Premiere (Now Streaming in 4K HDR): Instant, bufferless multi-server edge delivery available globally in native 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos 5.1 and multi-language subtitles.

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