In All of a Sudden, a nursing home manager’s friendship with a terminally-ill theatre director deepens her commitment to her residents’ dignity. Source: Australian Catholics.
This film – a German, Belgian, Japanese and French collaboration – focuses on a nursing home in Paris where the woman in charge, Marie-Lou Fontaine (Efira), encounters strong resistance when she tries to introduce a human-care technique.
Marie-Lou’s life is changed when she meets a Japanese playwright and cancer patient, Mari (Okamoto), who responds positively to what she is doing.
Loosely based on a non-fiction book, You and I – The illness Suddenly Gets Worse, by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono, All of a Sudden is a multi-layered film of great tenderness.
It was nominated for the Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Festival in 2026 and was awarded Best Actress at Cannes in 2026 with an award shared between its two main actresses – Efira and Okamoto. It is the first time that Cannes has split its Best Actress Award.
The film communicates rich observations about the dignity of life and uses dialogue to sensitively explore human character.
It embraces hope and courage as ways to cope with possible death and dying; it fosters community support and solace among needy people who urgently require help; and it intelligently dissects the separate components of capitalism as they relate to human need and distress.
Efira, as the director of the aged care facility, and Okamoto, the terminally ill playwright, discuss the philosophy of art in a stimulating, rewarding fashion throughout the movie in a way that reflects a humanistic vision of human need.
This is a film that explores life and human need in a dignified and caring way, and it richly deserves the rewards that it has received.
Review by Peter Sheehan, Jesuit Media
All of a Sudden: Starring Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto. Directed: Ryusuke Hamaguchi. 196 minutes. Rated PG (Mild themes).
FULL STORY
All of a Sudden (Australian Catholics)
