Crying Out in Love

A movie adaptation of Japanese novel Socrates in Love, written by Kyoichi Katayama: In a small town of southern Japan, Sakutaro “Saku” Matsumoto and Aki Hirose, classmates since junior high, become high school students. During this time they begin to date and their conversations circle around the idea of what love really is, beginning after Saku’s grandfather shares his own past love story with Saku. After a trip the two take to an abandoned island, Aki discovers she has leukemia, which limits her chances to go outside or see Saku. Once Saku learns the truth, he buys flight tickets to take Aki to Australia’s Uluru (Ayers Rock); a place she had always wanted to visit after missing the school trip there, but she dies before she could board the plane. The story takes place as a flashback through Saku’s eyes as he and Aki’s parents travel to Australia to spread Aki’s ashes in the place she had always wanted to see.