Depicting the beauty of traditional Japanese culture with a strong Zen flavor in an ancient capital

By / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Department, compiled and reported
 
Adapted from Yasunari Kawabata's classic masterpiece 【The Old Capital】, which has been made into films twice and received high acclaim both times. The new version of The Old Capital is not just a fresh creation and project, but its plot also focuses on the continuation of the original story. After the twin sisters, the protagonists of the original work, get married and have children, they each face the bonds and inheritance between mother and daughter. The setting also shifts from Kyoto to Paris, which equally exudes a historical atmosphere. Through the intertwining of two storylines and the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, the film brings together the essence of traditional Japanese culture, taking the audience into the millennia-old charm of Kyoto.

The plot revolves around a century-old store in Kyoto’s Muromachi district called “Sada Kimono.” Sada Chieko (played by Miki Nakatani), who has inherited the family business for 20 years, struggles with whether she should let her daughter Maimai (played by Kou Shibasaki) continue her destiny. Meanwhile, Maimai is also torn between venturing out into the world or staying to inherit the family trade.

On the other hand, Chieko’s twin sister Nako Nakada (played by Miki Nakatani / dual role), who was separated from Chieko in childhood and now works in forestry, is deeply mired in the hardships of a struggling business. Nako’s daughter Yui (played by Riko Narumi) has gone to France to study painting, but she also encounters a creative block. Just as Nako plans to visit her in Paris, Maimai is also set to accompany her calligraphy teacher on an exhibition trip there.

The influences passed down by the two mothers to their daughters, the women living in Kyoto’s traditional families, are about to reach a crossroads in life, and their bonds are soon to move all of Japan.

Info】
The Old Capital
Director: Yuki Saito
Screenwriter: Chieko Suzaki
Cast: Miki Nakatani, Kou Shibasaki, Riko Narumi
Genre: Art Film
Distributor: Skyhorse Pictures
Release Date: February 24, 2017

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