The cinema of Koreeda Hirokazu is defined by moments of everyday life. Whatever potential there is for heightened drama β the suicide of a husband, a cult massacre, abandoned children β it is diffused by the familiar rhythms of everydayness. This attention to the everyday must be understood within the context of death, which plays a significant role in all of Koreedaβs films. It is death that deepens our sense of life and makes even the most mundane moment seem profound.