Nagasaki, 1964. Young Kikuo witnesses his father’s death in a feud between yakuza clans. Hanjiro II, the greatest kabuki star of his time, takes Kikuo under his wing and saves the boy’s life. Kikuo devotes his life to kabuki theater alongside Hanjiro’s son Shunsuke. Decades of dedication pay off. His turbulent career is full of brotherhood and betrayal, tributes and scandals. Kikuo becomes a star, even though his yakuza background is a burden in the tightly closed circles of kabuki. Kikuo reaches the master class of kabuki, becoming a national treasure.

Kokuho – Master of Kabuki, which attracted an astonishing 13 million viewers to cinemas in Japan, is visual poetry. Sofia El Fan’s (Adeline’s Life) cinematography makes Kumiko Ogawa’s costumes and heavily made-up stars sparkle. The young men perform in kabuki theater according to the onnagata tradition: they dress up as beautiful maidens in these tragic stories. Kokuho – Master of Kabuki was Japan’s official Oscar nominee and received a nomination for Best Makeup.

Tickets: 12/10€, sold at the door. Doors open 20 minutes before the first screening.
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: Finnish, Swedish
174 min, From 12 years