USA, Japan

Synopsis

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) are two Americans in Tokyo. Bob is a movie star in town to shoot a whiskey commercial, while Charlotte is a young woman tagging along with her workaholic photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi). Unable to sleep, Bob and Charlotte cross paths one night in the luxury hotel bar. This chance meeting soon becomes a surprising friendship. Charlotte and Bob venture through Tokyo, having often hilarious encounters with its citizens, and ultimately discover a new belief in life's possibilities.
Shot entirely on location in Japan, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation is a valentine to the nature of close friendships and to the city of Tokyo. Ms. Coppola's film, from her original screenplay, contemplates the unexpected connections we make that might not last - yet stay with us forever.

Director's Biography

Sofia Coppola grew up in Northern California. After doing costume design on two feature films, she studied Fine Art at California Institute of the Arts.
She then wrote and directed the short film Lick the Star (which world-premiered at the Venice International Film Festival), followed by the feature The Virgin Suicides.
Ms. Coppola wrote the screenplay for the latter film, adapting it from Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffrey Eugenides' novel of the same name. The movie starred Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, James Woods, and Kathleen Turner. A world premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival, The Virgin Suicides subsequently earned her the MTV Movie Award for Best New Filmmaker.
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Sophia Coppola

Written by: Sophia Coppola

Produced by: Ross Katz, Sophia Coppola

Cinematography: Lance Acord

Editing: Sarah Flack

Production Design: Anne Ross, K.K. Barrett

Costume Design: Nancy Steiner

Original Score: Kevin Shields

Sound Design: Richard Beggs

Cast: Akiko Takeshita (Ms. Kawasaki ), Giovanni Ribisi (John), Fumihiro Hayashi (Charlie), Hiroko Kawasaki (Hiroko), Anna Faris (Kelly), Scarlett Johansson (Charlotte), Bill Murray (Bob Harris)

Nominations and Awards

  • Screen International Award (for a non-European film) 2003