Directed by:
Yasuo FuruhataCast:
Yūko Tanaka, 夏八木勲, 中井貴一, Tomoko Naraoka, Hisashi Igawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Renji Ishibashi, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Ken Takakura, Ayako Kobayashi, 笛木優子, Ryûji HaradaPlots(1)
Ayako lives with Kyoko, her friend and fellow stripper. She seems indifferent to her fate - disconnected. For Daiji, a lonely craftsman, family and tradition mean nothing. His art is his only connection to life. When they meet, both are adrift, suffering painful loss. She has undergone an abortion and broken up with her abusive boyfriend. He has recently learned of his grandfather's death. Daiji shows Ayako the great kiln built by his grandfather. She is fascinated. Later, Daiji waits in vain for Ayako at Gango Temple, where ancestors are celebrated. They had sworn to make a wish for their future, but the strip club has been raided, and Ayako jailed. Ayako returns home to the village she has not seen for ten years, but arrives too late. Her grandmother has died the night before. Daiji goes to the village to comfort her. When they return, they learn that Kyoko has terminal cancer. Ayako and Daiji burn one of Kyoko's costumes, then destroy the kiln. Together, they put the past to rest and prepare for spring and the future. (Wild Bunch Distribution)
(more)Cast
Yūko Tanaka
Japan
Best movies:
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Monster (2023)
To You (2012)
夏八木勲
Japan
Best movies:
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun (1972)
Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Steel Edge of Revenge (1969)
中井貴一
Japan
Best movies:
Revenge of the Pomegranate Tree Hill (2014)
Insight Into the Universe (2012)
Owl's Castle (1999)
Tomoko Naraoka
Japan
Best movies:
Dodes'ka-den (1970)
Ponyo (2008)
Ballad of Orin (1977)
Hisashi Igawa
Best movies:
Japan's Longest Day (1967)
Harakiri (1962)
After the Rain (1999)
Nenji Kobayashi
Japan
Best movies:
The Twilight Samurai (2002)
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Ballad of Narayama (1983)
Renji Ishibashi
Japan
Best movies:
Farewell to the Ark (1984)
Half a Confession (2004)
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Land of Demons (1973)
Yukiyoshi Ozawa
USA
Best movies:
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)
Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014)
Ken Takakura
Japan
Best movies:
Antarctica (1983)
A Fugitive from the Past (1965)
The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
Ayako Kobayashi
Japan
Best movies:
Ošin (2013)
笛木優子
Japan
Best movies:
IRIS (2009) (series)
The Hotel Venus (2004)
The Haunted Samurai (2007)
Ryûji Harada
Japan
Best movies:
Crossfire (2000)
Izo: The World Can Never Be Changed (2004)
The Negotiator: The Movie (2010)