Films at the Embassy of Japan: Hana no Ato (After the flowers) 花のあと

Hana no Ato (After the flowers) 花のあと

Directed by Kenji Nakanishi / 2009 / 107 mins
(Japanese language with English subtitles)

 

19 February 2014, 18:30

Doors open at 18:00. No admittance after 19:00

 

A northeastern feudal domain in the Edo period. Trained in swordsmanship by her father, Ito has such excellent skill at swordplay that she defeats the best students at a dojo. Under enthralling cherry blossoms, Ito is suddenly greeted by a young samurai, Magoshiro. After crossing swords with him in a match, she grows fond of him as a polite as well as a skilled swordsman. However, as her father has chosen a fiancé, Saisuke, for her, she comes to terms with her own destiny, concealing her feelings for Magoshiro. Several months later, Ito hears that Magoshiro has committed suicide after getting involved in a conspiracy and betrayal contrived by the domain’s heavyweight. She calmly rises up to take revenge

 

Based on a short period novel by the late Shuhei Fujisawa, who was from the northeastern area of Japan and produced many works describing the daily struggles of the people in that region.

This film contains some scenes of a violent nature.