International Film: Departures (Japan, 2008, 131 minutes)

Director Yojiro Takita and writer Kundo Koyama examine the rituals surrounding death with this comedy/drama about an out-of-work cellist, Daigo Kobayashi, who mistakenly accepts a job as an "encoffiner," the Japanese equivalent of an undertaker. Upon discovering that he will actually be preparing the bodies of the recently deceased, Daigo grows to accept the position as gatekeeper between life and death and gradually gains a greater appreciation for life. While Daigo's wife and friends universally dislike his new profession, he is proud of the fact that he is helping to ensure that the dead receive a proper send-off.—All Movie Guide. Departures won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2008. Sponsored by the Friends of the Cranford Public Library.