Tokyo Fiancée (2014)

Based on Amélie Nothomb’s 2007 autobiographical novel, Tokyo Fiancée (2014) is a Belgian romance-drama film written and directed by Stefan Liberski. It was selected for the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received three nominations at the 5th Magritte Awards. After leaving Japan at age five and growing up in Europe, Amélie returns to Japan at age 20 to reconnect with her Japanese roots. She settles into a small apartment in Tokyo and offers French language tutoring as a means of support. One of her students is Rinri, a young Japanese man seeking to improve his language skills.

The two enter a romantic relationship and Rinri guides her in exploring Japanese culture through activities such as watching movies, dining at restaurants, and attending events. She even embarks on a journey to Mount Fuji, where she experiences getting lost but manages to survive a cold night in an isolated cabin. However, following the devastating earthquake that results in significant damage and loss of lives, her neighbors and Rinri urge her to return to Europe as Japan needs to handle the disaster. On the flight back home, she mentions never seeing Rinri again and hears that he has tied the knot with a Frenchwoman who happens to be a general’s daughter. As for herself, she decides to save that story for another occasion.