Shape of Red
When a young housewife and mother named Toko (Kaho) has a chance run-in with her old flame Akihiko (Satoshi Tsumabuki) at a party, she finds herself suddenly thrown into a passionate love affair that reawakens long-suppressed desires and threatens to dismantle her seemingly perfect life. The latest film by veteran director Yukiko Mishima (Dear Etranger)—adapted from a 2012 Rio Shimamoto novel by Mishima with co-writer Chihiro Ikeda—Shape of Red is a beautifully lensed, thoughtful and sensuous melodrama that questions the cost of individual freedom and the roles women are expected to play in contemporary Japanese society.
Streaming in the U.S. from February 5-25 as part of 21st Century Japan: Films from 2001-2020