Three sisters live together in a rambling house, left to them by their Grandmother. They have lived there since their father abandoned the family for another woman, shortly followed by their mother and their Grandmother took them in. Now Sachi, 29, the oldest sister, a nurse at the local hospital, acts as a substitute mother to Yoshino, 22, and Chika, 19. 

When they hear that the father who left them 15 years before has died, they travel to his funeral where they meet their shy teenage half-sister. They impulsively invite her to live with them and, when she agrees, a new life of discovery begins for the four siblings. This warm and generous film is a moving story of family love and loss told with the lightest of touches. 

Wonderful performances combined with the totally assured but unobtrusive direction of Hirokazu Koreeda make this a film, and a family, you don't really want to leave. When the film finishes, you will want it to carry on for another two hours.