Kabei: Our Mother

Kabei: Our Mother (母べえ) is a 2008 Japanese film starring Sayuri Yoshinaga and directed by Yoji Yamada.

The film was based on the autobiographical novel by Teruyo Nogami, who for many years worked with director Akira Kurosawa, often as script supervisor.

Plot
Set in Tokyo in 1940, the peaceful life of the Nogami Family suddenly changes when the father, Shigeru, is arrested and accused of being a Communist. His wife Kayo works frantically from morning to night to maintain the household and bring up her two daughters with the support of Shigeru's sister Hisako and Shigeru's former student Yamazaki, but her husband does not return. World War II breaks out and casts dark shadows on the entire country, but Kayo still tries to keep her cheerful determination, and sustain the family with her love. This is an emotional drama of a mother and an eternal message for peace.

Cast

 * Sayuri Yoshinaga as Kayo Nogami
 * Tadanobu Asano as Yamazaki Toru
 * Rei Dan as Hisako Nogami
 * Mirai Shida as Hatsuko Nogami
 * Miku Satō as Teruyo Nogami
 * Umenosuke Nakamura as Kyūtarō Fujioka
 * Takashi Sasano
 * Denden
 * Bandō Mitsugorō X as Shigeru Nogami
 * Mizuho Suzuki as Hajime Nikaido
 * Chieko Baisho as Hatsuko Nogami (adult)
 * Keiko Toda as Teruyo Nogami (adult)
 * Yōji Matsuda as Shimazaki
 * Michie Tomizawa
 * Mayumi Tanaka
 * Kumiko Nishihara
 * Masuo Amada
 * Daisuke Gōri
 * Mii Takahashi as Ritsuko

Reception
The film received several nominations at the 32nd Japan Academy Film Prize, including for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress for Sayuri Yoshinaga, Best Supporting Actor for Tadanobu Asano and Best Supporting Actress for Rei Dan.