The Mourning Forest

film by Kawase [2007]

Also known as: “Mogari no mori”

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July 17, 2026

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The Mourning Forest (Mogari no mori) is a 2007 film by Japanese director Naomi Kawase. The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes film festival.1

The Mourning Forest explores themes of death and bereavement through the relationship between an elderly man grieving his deceased wife and his caregiver, a young nurse mourning the loss of her child. The narrative follows a journey the two take together, sharing their grief. Kawase, known for her autobiographical documentaries and features exploring family life, continued her thematic focus on loss with this film.1

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Naomi Kawase
…for Mogari no mori (2007; The Mourning Forest), which explored the themes of death and bereavement that had dominated many of her earlier works. The film portrayed the relationship between an elderly man haunted by memories of his long-dead wife and the man’s caregiver, a young nurse who herself mourns…
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…for Mogari no mori (2007; The Mourning Forest), which explored the themes of death and bereavement that had dominated many of her earlier works. The film portrayed the relationship between an elderly man haunted by memories of his long-dead wife and the man’s caregiver, a young nurse who herself mourns…
Read More