Synopsis / Plot

A young man Tomoya Nagase and a girl Mayuko Fukuda both learn that they have an untreatable illness and are nearing death. When one reveals that they have never been to the ocean, they embark on a comical adventure to see the sea.

28-year old Masato is diagnosed with a fatal disease and becomes hopelessly lost. One day, he meets 14-year old Harumi at the hospital. Like him she only has limited time to live. They decide to take one last trip to the sea and steal a car, not knowing that it contains a gun and a great deal of money.

Two terminally ill patients: 28-year-old Masato (Tomoya Nagase) and 14-year-old Harumi (Mayuko Fukuda) escape from the hospital, steal a fancy convertible from the parking lot, and go on a wild final adventure to see the ocean.

• Heaven’s Door is a slightly modified remake of the 1997 German film 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'.
  
  
• Pop star Yumi Yoshimura (one half of the J-pop duo Puffy AmiYumi) and rock singer Anna Tsuchiya make in the movie small cameo roles.

Michael Arias, better known for his work in the animation and digital domain on such features such as Tekkonkinkreet, Princess Mononoke and The Animatrix; lends his hand to directing a live action, Japanese film that’s actually a remake of a German comedy/drama from 1997.
Okay, confusion out of the way – we can begin…

Tomoya Nagase (My Boss, My Hero) plays Masato Aoyama, a life-long part-timer with no ambition. After a string of blinding migraine attacks he seeks medical advice only to be told his has an inoperable brain tumor. After being hospitalised he meets Harumi Shiraishi played by Mayuko Fukuda. She has also been diagnosed with a terminal disease and they bond almost immediately.
The film then turns into a road movie as they drink too much tequila, steal a Maserati, rob a post office and in a last ditch attempt to fulfil their dreams – head for the beach.

With a superb screenplay by Mika Omori (My Boss My Hero, Detroit Metal City) [developed from an original story by Thomas Jahn, subsequently developed into a screenplay by Til Schweiger for the original German film], stunning photography, outstanding lighting and a soundtrack that is so subtle but massive supplied by the Electronic Virtuoso’s Plaid – the film takes a bleak theme and turns it into something beautiful and compelling.