Yoko Narahashi might just be the most powerful Japanese woman in Hollywood thanks to her work in casting blockbusters such as "The Last Samurai" and "The Wolverine." Her new film as a director, however, shuns special effects and battles, and focuses on a more intimate story.
"Hold My Hand" is a heart-warming film that was shot in just 12 days on an extremely tight budget. It's Narahashi's third outing as a director and follows Makoto (Jay Kabira), a man with a slight intellectual disability who sets out on a journey to Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture. He meets a young woman named Reiko (Sumire Matsubara) along the way, an encounter that brings back memories of his wife, Sakura (Nanami Kameda) — and the crime he committed trying to protect her.
Playwright and actor Masayuki Imai initially penned the script as a stage production, and, despite then being diagnosed with colon cancer, he decided to turn the story into a film and cast himself as the lead. Unfortunately, he was forced to pull out due to his deteriorating health. He passed away last May.