Trailer for ‘Honoka’, a Japanese Documentary about Parents Caring for a Severely Disabled Girl

By Barrier Free Japan, Kyodo

April 29 2022 

A Japanese documentary film that follows a couple lovingly looking after their severely disabled daughter who was declared “near” to being brain dead at birth poses important questions to audiences about how they understand life and the meaning of existence.

The parents of Honoka Nishimura, now 14, were told by doctors that she would never exhibit consciousness when she was born in 2007. But, although she would require medical attention around the clock, the couple brought her back to their home in the city of Saitama, north of Tokyo, when she was 9 months old.

The 72-minute film called “Honoka” shows her from age 3 and her parents over three years. Like any parents, they shower her with affection, taking her on outings and reading picture books in her presence, while her mother, Risa, 45, also takes charge of her medical care.

‘Honoka’ Film Website: http://honoka-film.com