Watch: Iwai Shunji's LAST LETTER Gets Affecting, Wispy Trailer

Describing the trailer for Iwai Shunji's Last Letter as "wispy" is meant in the sense that it is fine, light as air video that suggests something is more powerful and affecting than it might look. 

More than 20 years ago, Iwai began making waves that broke beyond Japan with films like Swallowtail Butterfly, April Story, All About Lily Chou-Chou and, especially, Hana and Alice. He's remained busy throughout his career, working in television as well as the big-screen arena, making features, series and documentaries.

His previous feature, A Bride for Rip Van Wrinkle, received an appreciative review by our own Jaime Grijalba Gomez back in June 2016: "It's perfectly tuned, wonderfully performed and tonally consistent. One of the best films of the year." 

In its apparent tone, Last Letter reminds me of his previous films, which also displayed a fine, quiet approach to narrative storytelling. It appears to tell the tale of a young woman who has retained her crush on a high school classmate into young adulthood, expressing it in letters.

Last Letter is also Iwai's first Chinese-language film; longtime Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan serves as executive producer; Zhou Xun stars. (Note that Iwai is also working on a Japanese-language film titled, in English, Last Letter; read more about that at Anime News Network.) 

Are you a fan of Iwai? Then you'll want to watch the trailer below and share your thoughts. Even if you haven't seen any of his previous films, check out the trailer for a gentle interlude. Last Letter will open in theaters in Hong Kong starting on 29 November.