SYNOPSIS: One of the most acclaimed figures in modern Japanese cinema, Naomi Kawase followed up her remarkable 2014 film Still the Water with Sweet Bean [An], a small-town drama of culinary redemption, which opened the prestigious Un Certain Regard strain of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Struggling street food vendor Sentaro finds himself confronted with Tokue (Kirin Kiki), an odd but sympathetic elderly lady looking for work. When he reluctantly accepts, it's not long before Tokue proves to have an extraordinary gift when it comes to making "an" - the sweet red bean paste filling used in his dorayakis - which starts a relationship that is about much more than just street food. With Sweet Bean, Kawase again focuses on people at the periphery of Japanese society and investigates their place in the flow of life itself. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the film for the first time in the UK. SPECIAL FEATURES including: High-definition presentation on the Blu-ray Optional English subtitles A new, exclusive video interview with Naomi Kawase Theatrical trailer A 32-page booklet featuring a new essay on the film by critic Philip Kemp; an interview and statement from Kawase, and production images REVIEWS: ''A magical and beautiful film about what it means to be Japanese in the modern era'' - The Sunday Morning Herald ''An ode to the simple joys in life'' - The Hollywood Reporter ''The movie, beautifully shot and acted, earns its ultimate sense of hope by confronting real heartbreak head-on, and with compassion'' - New York Times