Hirokazu Kore-eda’s near-future drama “Sheep in the Box,” in which a grieving couple welcomes a state-of-the-art humanoid as their son, premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday to a 3.5-minute standing ovation.
Kore-eda earned warm but not sustained applause after the credits rolled, with the ovation lasting 3.5 minutes until the director asked for the mic. One of the most enthusiastic applauders was James Franco, who was on his feet as soon as the film ended and kept up his ovation till the very end.
The film marks Kore-eda’s return to the Croisette for the first time since “Monster” won the Best Screenplay prize in 2023. Stars Ayase Haruka and Yamamoto Daigo play the couple at the center of the film, with Kuwaki Rimu as the infant humanoid who comes to live with them following the death of their son.
Set in a near-future Japan, “Sheep in the Box” centers on questions of parenthood and grief as Ayase and Yamamoto’s couple take in an infant humanoid following the death of their son. The film marks a departure into science fiction for Kore-eda, best known for the intimate domestic dramas “Shoplifters,” and “Broker.”
Kore-eda’s relationship with Cannes stretches back more than two decades, with seven films selected across Competition and Un Certain Regard. “Nobody Knows” earned the best actor prize for Yagira Yuya in 2004, “Like Father, Like Son” won the Jury Prize in 2013, “Shoplifters” took the Palme d’Or in 2018, “Broker” the Ecumenical Jury prize and the best actor award for Song Kang-ho in 2022, and “Monster” both best screenplay and the Queer Palm in 2023 – making him one of the most decorated filmmakers in the festival’s history.
