departures

Departures, which won the 2009 Oscar for best foreign film, is a mix of ambition and modesty, a graceful, sometimes comical work that has transparent designs on our emotions.

Synopsis:

Masahiro Motoki stars as Daigo, an out-of-work cellist who, crushed at the breakup of his Tokyo orchestra, retreats to his picturesque northern Japan hometown to find his true calling. His first bold, life-changing move is to become a Nokanshi; a professional who ritually washes and clothes bodies prior to the funeral. While this unusual change of career gives Daigo a new purpose in life, it creates conflict with his young wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue) and others around him.