Here Media Helps Bring Oscar-Winning Foreign Film to U.S.

Daigo Kobayashi is keeping a secret from his wife.

After losing his job at the local orchestra, the devoted cellist in the Oscar-winning foreign film Departures takes a mysterious job that requires working with an older man and getting intimate with strangers.

That's right, he works as an encoffineer, a guy who prepares recently deceased bodies for funereal display and eventual entombment. Kobayashi's wife and friends hate his new job, but working with death helps Kobayashi learn to appreciate life, especially as he finds a father figure in his older boss.

While the film isn't overtly gay, we can all empathize with the pain of keeping secrets, feeling like an outcast amongst loved ones and learning how to embrace life by letting go of fear. The humor and compassion with which Director Yojiro Takita renders Kobayashi's story helped Departures win the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Picture.

Now, thanks in part to the gay Here Media network, you can view Departures in both the U.S. and Canada via iTunes.

View the trailer for Depatures below.