Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles


1h 48m 2006

Brief Synopsis

For the first time in many years, Takata Gou-ichi takes the bullet train to Tokyo from the quiet fisherman's village where he lives on the northwest coast of Japan. His daughter-in-law, Rie, had telephoned to tell him that his son, Ken-ichi is seriously ill, and asking for his father. But when he ar

Film Details

Also Known As
Lonely Ride over a Long Distance, Qian Li Zou Dan Ji
MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Foreign
Period
Release Date
2006
Production Company
Edko Films; Mikado Film; Sunrise Film Distribution
Distribution Company
Sony Pictures Classics; Edko Films; Folkets Bio; Sony Pictures Classics; Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; Sony Pictures Releasing; Sony Pictures Releasing International; Toho Company Ltd.; Toho-Towa Company; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Location
Southwest China

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 48m

Synopsis

For the first time in many years, Takata Gou-ichi takes the bullet train to Tokyo from the quiet fisherman's village where he lives on the northwest coast of Japan. His daughter-in-law, Rie, had telephoned to tell him that his son, Ken-ichi is seriously ill, and asking for his father. But when he arrives in the city, Takata finds that Rie was not entirely truthful: Ken-ichi has been hospitalized, but after years of painful estrangement, he still refuses to see Takata. Crushed, the old man quietly slips out of the hospital, but not before Rie gives him a videotape to watch. What Takata sees on the tape, Rie hopes, will help him get to know his son again. Takata plays the tape and learns that Ken-ichi is studying a form of Chinese exorcising drama that dates back more than a thousand years. Ken-ichi had traveled all the way to Yunnan Province in Southern China to see the famous actor Li Jiamin perform, but the actor was ill and unable to sing. Li promised to sing the legendary song 'Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles' from the literary classic, 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' for Ken-ichi if he returns to Yunnan the following year. Hoping to bridge the gap between himself and his son, Takata decides to find Li Jiamin and videotape his performance for the dying Ken-ichi. As the old man begins an odyssey into the heart of China, he encounters a number of strangers who color his journey--from well-meaning translators who guide him through China's idiosyncrasies, to prison wardens anxious to promote Chinese culture abroad, to a young runaway with a complicated father-son relationship of his own. What Takata discovers on his journey is kindness--and a sense of family he thought he had lost long ago.

Film Details

Also Known As
Lonely Ride over a Long Distance, Qian Li Zou Dan Ji
MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Foreign
Period
Release Date
2006
Production Company
Edko Films; Mikado Film; Sunrise Film Distribution
Distribution Company
Sony Pictures Classics; Edko Films; Folkets Bio; Sony Pictures Classics; Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; Sony Pictures Releasing; Sony Pictures Releasing International; Toho Company Ltd.; Toho-Towa Company; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International
Location
Southwest China

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 48m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Summer September 1, 2006

Released in United States on Video February 6, 2007

Released in United States October 2006

Shown at Rome Film Festival (Extra) October 13-21, 2006.

Released in United States Summer September 1, 2006 (NY / LA)

Released in United States on Video February 6, 2007

Released in United States October 2006 (Shown at Rome Film Festival (Extra) October 13-21, 2006.)