‘Look Back’: Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Tatsuki Fujimoto adaptation earns 12-minute standing ovation at Venice

Furi Nanase, from left, Natsuki Deguchi, director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Aju Makita and Rokka Okada pose for photographers at the red carpet for the film 'Look Back' during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy | Photo Credit: AP Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Look Back received more than 12 minutes of applause following its official screening at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 7. Kore-eda and stars Natsuki Deguchi and Aju Makita, were present for the premiere and joined the audience reception.The emotional reception continued as Deguchi and Makita wiped away tears and bowed to the audience, while Kore-eda also became visibly emotional. The world premiere was attended by Deguchi and Makita alongside Furi Nanase and Rokka Okada, who play the younger versions of Fujino and Kyomoto respectively.Based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s 2021 one-shot manga, Look Back follows Fujino and Kyomoto, two schoolgirls brought together by their shared passion for drawing manga. Their initial rivalry develops into a creative partnership that stretches across 13 years as their lives take different directions. Deguchi and Nanase play Fujino at different ages, while Makita and Okada portray Kyomoto.The film marks Kore-eda’s first live-action adaptation of a manga. The director discovered Fujimoto’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic and was drawn to its depiction of friendship, artistic ambition and loss. He subsequently approached the adaptation as an expression of gratitude towards Fujimoto.Kore-eda has also placed the physical act of drawing at the centre of the film. The changing sounds of pencils and digital drawing tools become part of the storytelling as Fujino and Kyomoto develop their craft. Deguchi, Makita, Nanase and Okada reportedly spent months learning to draw manga, with some of their work incorporated into the finished film.The premiere also marks Kore-eda’s second Competition title of 2026 after Sheep in the Box, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year, giving the filmmaker films in Competition at two major European festivals within the same year.The Venice reception gives Kore-eda an early boost in the Golden Lion race, with the filmmaker returning to the festival where his 1995 debut Maborosi won the Golden Osella. Look Back will also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. Published - September 08, 2026 12:08 pm IST