Chris Fowles explores the nuances of homesickness, the complexities of familial love and the significance of small home comforts in his latest beautiful film for LU.

Director Chris Fowles had this to say about the project: “The story is about the comfort of home and reaching out to those you love.

Being set across two countries - neither of which were the UK - it was a long shoot. Telling a story about missing home while being away from home ourselves made the project even more meaningful for everyone involved.

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It was important to us that the mum wasn’t a character we were making fun of. She genuinely cares about her son and misses him while he's away in Japan. Her gesture to send him something from home is genuine and heartfelt, even if the younger brother has other plans…

We worked hard to make sure the twist at the end felt natural and sweet. It’s all led by the performances, keeping it authentic and subtle allows us to buy the final reveal.

Shooting in Tokyo at night with a large, mostly non-English-speaking cast was a first for me, and it had its own ‘Lost in Translation’ moments. But the team there was incredible - it was a lot of fun navigating Japan’s unique filming rules.

I’m incredibly grateful to the French agency and client for trusting me with such an iconic and cherished brand. (They’re not wrong, the biscuits are amazing. The uneaten props were a hot commodity.)”

Credits:

Agency: Publicis Conseil

Chief Creative Officer: Marco Venturelli

ECD: Maud Robaglia

Creatives: Jean-Marc Tramoni & Marc Rozier

Agency Executive Director: Sylvain Michel

Agency Producer: Charlotte Monceaux

Production Company: Prodigious / Pop Studios

Head of Production / EP: Augustin de Taillac

Producer: Neyla Ben Hamouda

Production Manager: Guillaume Rizo

Japan Service Production Company: TaProd