The Heart(Kokoro)

Natsume Soseki, revered today as the father of modern Japanese literature, crafted an enduring hit novel with his 1914 work. Taking up Natsume’s Meiji-era tale, acclaimed helmer Ichikawa Kon zeroes in on the deep-set pain of Nobuchi, a teacher tormented by the death of a friend years earlier and his own guilty conscience. Nobuchi’s wife is at a loss over her husband’s decline, and it takes a visiting student to bring dark history into the light. Ichikawa dwells on friendship, lost love and self-loathing, as well as rapidly changing times, as The Heart slips from intimate drama into devastating confession.

21/12 (Sat): Film talk with Matthew Cheng

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