Climbing For Life

Junji Sakamoto’s Climbing For Life has been set as the opening film of the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (October 27-November 5).

The feature stars acclaimed actress Sayuri Yoshinaga as Junko Tabei, the Japanese mountaineer who made history in 1975 as the first woman to conquer Mount Everest. The story chronicles her arduous journey to that historical achievement and the subsequent challenges she faced throughout her life.

Yoshinaga is one of Japan’s most revered performers, having starred in more than 120 films in a career spanning more than 65 years and won four Japan Academy best actress awards, more than any other actress. The film reunites her with director Sakamoto for the first time since 2012 mystery drama A Chorus Of Angels.

Climbing For Life marks the 31st feature of award-winning director Sakamoto, who has tackled a variety of genres and controversial topics throughout his career with titles such as crime drama Face, which played in competition at San Sebastian in 2000; kidnap thriller KT, which played in competition at the Berlinale in 2002; and 2023 eco-fable Okiku And The World.

Sakamoto previously played in competition at Tokyo with Another World in 2018 and Awakening in 2006.

The screenplay for Climbing For Life was written by Riko Sakaguchi based on the late Tabei’s memoir My Mountain Life – Up And Down. The cast also includes Koichi Sato, Yuki Amami and Non, who is also a Japan Academy award-winner and plays the younger version of Tabei.

Kino Film will release the film locally on October 31. It is set to world premiere at San Sebastian on September 20.

Sakamoto said of his latest work: “Although the production process of filmmaking has been dramatically altered in the digital era, the joy of sharing a film with audiences on the big screen and masterful sound design remains timeless. This film also stands as a testament to the enduring talent of Sayuri Yoshinaga, a national treasure who has graced the pinnacle of stardom for generations.”

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