Francois Girard "Silk" (2007)

Silk is the film adaptation of Italian author Alessandro Baricco's novel of the same name. It will be released in 2007 through New Line Cinema, directed by the Red Violin director, Francois Girard.

The American actor Michael Pitt will star in the lead role of the French silkworm smuggler Hervé Joncour and the British actress Keira Knightley will appear as the Hélène, wife of Hervé. Japanese actors Miki Nakatani and Koji Yakusho have also been cast. Exterior Japanese scenes were filmed in the city of Sakata. Keira's scenes were filmed in Italy, exactly in Sermoneta, a small medieval village near Latina.

The novel is the story of a married silkworm smuggler named Hervé, in 19th century France, traveling to Japan for his town's supply of silkworms after a disease wipes out their African supply. During his stay in Japan, he becomes obsessed with the unnamed concubine of a local baron, Hara Jubei.

Hervé's love remains secret, and he travels to Japan, ostensibly for silkworms, for many years, while no one seems to suspect that Hervé is meeting the concubine, when away from home; at the same time, he seems happy with his wife, Hélène, whom Hervé takes on a series of fancy holidays, each year.

When war breaks out in Japan, Hervé must leave for France, warned never to return to Japan. At home, after hearing nothing from the mysterious concubine, he at last receives a letter from her, written in Japanese. Hervé takes the letter to a French-Japanese brothel owner, Mme Blanche (known for giving the small blue flowers that she wears to her clients), who translates to letter into French.

The story ends when Hélène dies and Hervé finds a tribute of small, blue flowers on her grave. He realizes that the letter was not from the Japanese concubine, but from his wife all along. Hélène had Mme Blanche translate the letter for her, knowing that her husband was in love with a Japanese woman, and wanting him to be happy. Mme Blanche tells Hervé that, more than anything, his wife loved him, and Hervé is left wondering if, whilst she lived, he ever truly appreciated her.

[via wikipedia.org]

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