A married silkworm smuggler, Herve Joncour, in 19th Century France who travels to Japan to collect his clandestine cargo. While there he spots a beautiful Japanese woman, the concubine of a local baron, with whom he becomes obsessed. Without speaking the same language, they communicate through letters until war intervenes. Their unrequited love persists however, and Herve’s wife Helene begins to suspect. –IMDb
François Girard (born January 12, 1963) is a French-Canadian director and screenwriter particularly noted for his innovative film Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould. Born in Quebec, Girard’s career began on the Montreal art video circuit. In 1990, he produced his first feature film, Cargo; he attained international recognition following his 1993 Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, a series of vignettes about the life of piano prodigy Glenn Gould. In 1998, he wrote and directed The Red Violin, which follows the ownership of a red violin over several centuries. The Red Violin won an Academy Award for Best Original Soundtrack, thirteen Genie Awards and nine Jutra Awards.
He has also directed various works for the stage, including Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Oedipus Rex and Novencento at the Edinburgh International Festival; Kafka’s The Trial at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa; the oratorio Lost Objects at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; Siegfried in Toronto; and… read more
i did not get why this film was so well received in canada, it was so dull and lacked feeling. michael pitt, who shines on "boardwalk empire" as jimmy darmondy spoke here in the same low tone of voice throughout the film. i just gave up after about 45 minutes. everyone else like keira knightley, alfred molina, martha burns etc... all wasting their talents in this schlock.