Bread of Happiness

Yukiko Mishima's 2012 Japanese film turns around a couple who move from Tokyo to Hokkaido and open a bakery and café. The story is divided into seasons; in each part a different guest arrives, stays a while and leaves with their own knot. The film is a typical example of the strand called healing cinema: low conflict, slow pace, food and landscape in front. The bread-making scenes are shot with real knowledge and are its best passages. Its weakness is resolving the guests' problems too easily and keeping the story emotionally too safe. The Hokkaido landscapes are strong. Who it's for: viewers who like slow Japanese films and food-centred stories. Who it's not for: anyone wanting conflict and tension, or troubled by easy resolutions.