Kokuho

Kabuki theatre, love and the mafia converge in a deeply moving box-office phenomenon that has drawn millions of moviegoers across Japan.

Spanning more than three decades, this epic drama follows two young men locked in a relentless pursuit of mastery in the classical Japanese art of kabuki. One is the son of a yakuza boss; the other inherits the legacy of a renowned kabuki master. Between them grows a profoundly ambivalent bond - where they are alternately brothers, rivals, colleagues, and enemies. With life and identity at stake, the film traces their uncompromising quest for perfection. Kokuho weaves two seemingly irreconcilable destinies into a work of powerful cinematic art.

• Freddy Olsson