A fairy in sneakers wanders from forest to metropolis—what is she planting?
Naomi Kawase describes Sakura Ando, the lead character in her film, as "a mysterious creature" who is "like a fairy. SEED is the story of the journey this girl takes from the enchanted nature of Nara to the chaos of Tokyo, and the encounters she has along the way. A boy offers her the gift of an apple, which she in turn gives to a homeless man, who proffers a soft piece of chiffon fabric in return. Moving like a tree that sways in the wind, the girl embodies a spirit that secretly runs through places and living things. The eleventh film commissioned by Miu Miu Women's Tales was directed by the multiple Cannes award-winning Japanese director Naomi Kawase.
Direction
Kawase's tactile worship of hands, fabric, and wind.
Cinematography
Nara's mossy greens bleeding into Tokyo's neon blur.
Director
Naomi Kawase
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Women's Tales #11—Kawase was the first Japanese director in the series, and shot this between her Cannes competition films.
Ando's 'fairy' movement references butoh's slow, weighted presence, reframed here as feminine freedom rather than anguish.
JP
