Family Romance, LLC

[wilder]

Romance as a business. A man is hired to impersonate the missing father of a 12-year-old girl.

Written and Directed by Werner Herzog
Starring Yuichi Ishii and Mahiro Tanimoto
Release Date  - TBD, premieres at Cannes

[jenkins]

not sure what it'll be like but i'm into it for a variety of reasons

so first-hand what i've heard is there are cafes in tokyo where okay you go in and you see a row of women and you point to one and okay she sits with you and she pretends to be your girlfriend while you drink coffee or whatever. i think that sounds both horrible and wonderful, i mean i think it sounds better than girlfriend robots for exmple

[wilder]

Werner Herzog's 'Family Romance, LLC' to Launch in U.S. on MUBI With Special Event
Variety

London-based production, finance and sales company Film Constellation and the global curated streaming service MUBI have partnered to host an exclusive premiere of Werner Herzog's "Family Romance, LLC" on July 3 in the U.S., featuring an exclusive introduction and interview with Herzog.

In other international territories, the company is collaborating with the local theatrical distributor, including U.K. distributor Modern Films, Artplex in Brazil, PVR in India, I Wonder in Italy, who will participate in the preview event for their local release.

Herzog, who not only directed but also served as writer and cinematographer, will introduce the virtual premiere and conclude with an exclusive 15 minute Q&A.

The special preview will be hosted on MUBI and will be available to stream for free for 24-hours in more than 150 countries, including the U.S. and Canada.

"Family Romance, LLC" is the latest feature from Herzog ("Aguirre, The Wrath of God"; "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"). Receiving its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the film tells the story of a Tokyo-based company that offers the perfect stand-ins for absent family members, friends or admirers – available to rent for any occasion.

In a fictionalized take on this real-life company, Herzog follows founder Yuichi Ishii as he helps his clients make their dreams come true. But when the mother of 12-year-old Mahiro hires Ishii to impersonate her missing ex-husband, the line between performance and reality threatens to blur.

The film blends fiction storytelling with documentary-style visuals for "a striking meditation on truth and artifice in the age of loneliness," according to a statement.

The film will officially and exclusively release on MUBI July 4 in the U.S., Canada, Germany, LATAM (excl. Brazil), Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.