Kokuho

From acclaimed director Sang-il Lee comes a film of awe-inspiring scope and sumptuous beauty, and a monument to the artists who would sacrifice everything in the pursuit of the ultimate performance.

Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, Kikuo decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. Across decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – from acting school to the grandest stages – amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals, as each pushes to become the greatest living Kabuki master.

Shortlisted for The Academy's Best International Feature Film Award, Kokuho is now the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film of all time.