Rhapsody in August
“Tears. Laughter. Innocence. It was a summer of remembering.”
An elderly Nagasaki hibakusha spends a summer caring for her four grandchildren, whose curiosity about the 1945 bombing stirs buried memories and moral questions. When an American nephew from Hawaii visits, the family confronts grief, guilt, and the possibility of reconciliation across generations.
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Cast
31 people
Sachiko Murase
Kane (The Grandmother)
Known for
Zatoichi the Fugitive
Hidetaka Yoshioka
Tateo
Known for
Godzilla Minus One
The Place Promised in Our Early Days
Tomoko Otakara
Tami
Also in
Summer Vacation 1999
Hana no Asuka-gumi!
Mieko Suzuki
Minako
Known for
Dreams
Madadayo
Mitsunori Isaki
Shinjiro
Known for
Howl's Moving Castle
Dreams
Hisashi Igawa
Tadao
Known for
Ran
Pitfall
Toshie Negishi
Kane's daughter
Known for
When Marnie Was There
Dreams
Chōichirō Kawarasaki
Noboru
Known for
Profound Desires of the Gods
Narumi Kayashima
Machino
Known for
Tokyo Family
Richard Gere
Clark (Kane's Nephew)
Known for
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Pretty Woman
Matsue Ono
Also in
Seven Samurai
Dodes'ka-den
Kappei Matsumoto
Known for
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx
Stray Dog
Akira Kurosawa Director · Ishirō Honda Screenplay Kiyoko Murata Author
United States release December 20, 1991 · Produced in Japan · Production Shochiku, Sony PCL
Production
Kurosawa Production
Production
Shochiku
Production
Sony PCL
Production
IMAGICA
Production
Japan
Produced in
Languages
Original title
八月の狂詩曲
Original language
Japanese
Spoken on screen
Japanese
Release dates
Japan · May 25, 1991
Theatrical
United States · December 20, 1991
Theatrical
Brazil
January 1, 1992 · Theatrical · IMDB
Czechia
August 8, 2002 · TV · ČT2
Germany
October 6, 1991 · Theatrical
Italy
November 8, 1991 · Theatrical
Portugal
September 13, 1991 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.