Flowers examines the lives of six women across three generations, from the Show period all the way through to the present day.
Acting
Yu Aoi's wordless final scene destroys me every time.
Cinematography
The same room transforms across eras without CGI.
Costume
Kimono details signal each woman's unspoken rebellion.
Director
Norihiro Koizumi
Yu Aoi
Rin
Yuko Takeuchi
Kaoru
Rena Tanaka
Midori
Yukie Nakama
Sato
Hirosue Ryoko
Kei
Kyoka Suzuki
Kana
Kyoko Maya
Fumie Katayama
Sansei Shiomi
Torao Katayama
Takahiro Miura
Wabisuke Miyazawa
Takao Osawa
Hiroshi Manaka
Hiroyuki Nagato
Soutarou Endo
Yoshihiko Inohara
Haruo Miyazawa (1977)
Mitsuru Hirata
Haruo Miyazawa (2009)
Taro Suruga
Taichi Hirano
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The six leads had never shared a screen before; director Koizumi cast them specifically because they'd competed for the same roles throughout their careers, adding meta-tension to their generational connections.
The house itself was built for the film and then deliberately aged — the physical deterioration mirrors how each generation's hopes literally crumble into the next.
JP
