Finding the right Oshin for the job

DIRECTOR Shin Togashi spared no effort when it came to casting the lead actress for Oshin, his big-screen adaptation of the hit '80s Japanese TV series. He auditioned about 2,500 hopefuls over a six-month period before settling for eight-year-old newcomer Kokone Hamada.

The film opened islandwide here yesterday and Singapore is the first country outside Japan to screen it.

Its release also marks the 30th anniversary of the series, which first aired in 1983.