For dressmaker Ichie (Miki Nakatani, Memories of Matsuko), creating an item of clothing is a hugely personal process. Having inherited her grandmother’s shop, Ichie specialises in tailor-making clothes for each client using an old sewing machine. Her dressmaking shop is bustling and the locals adore her unique vintage creations. But when a department store offers to turn her clothing into a brand, Ichie must choose between honouring her grandmother’s will, or fashioning her own path.

Acclaimed director Yukiko Mishima (Bread and Happiness and A Drop of the Grapevine) adapts this manga into a heartfelt portrayal of a persevering and proud dressmaker and the people who love her creations. Featuring the original clothing created by acclaimed designer Sachiko Ito (who also designed costumes for Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Airdoll), this film artfully depicts the beauty of clothing and a long-forgotten way of life. RECOMMENDED PG

Part of ODD OBSESSIONS: DESIRES, HOPES AND IMPULSES IN JAPANESE CINEMA

Taking inspiration from Charlie Chaplin’s famous quote “Life is a desire, not a meaning”, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2017 features an all-encompassing introduction to Japanese cinema through the prism of “desires, hopes and impulses”. Presenting films by established and up-and-coming directors, this year’s programme promises to not only entertain but also provide a vivid insight into what drives human action.

Also screening:

SOMEONE'S XYLOPHONE

LADY MAIKO

A SILENT VOICE