HIKARI and Academy-Award winning actor Brendan Fraser (“The Whale,” “George of the Jungle”) return to the film festival circuit with their tender Tokyo comedy-drama, “Rental Family.” Fraser here plays Philip, the “token white guy” for hire at a small Japanese rental family company. Over the course of the film, Philip plays the role of groom, friend, journalist, and most importantly, father. This heartwarming feature reminds both Philip and the rest of us how the tendrils of genuine human connection can blossom, even while on the job.
We spoke with HIKARI the morning after her film closed out the 48th Mill Valley Film Festival. In this Zoom call, Grace Han and HIKARI talk about the many meta-narratives of “Rental Family”: first her own story as the child of a single mother; then of Fraser’s role as a performer; her own experience working with Searchlight Pictures; and finally, of capturing images of far-off lands for film.
You can catch RENTAL FAMILY in North American theaters starting November 21.