The festival opens with Kokuho, Japan’s most watched film of all time

The 14th Helsinki Cine Aasia festival opens on Thursday, March 12, with Kokuho, a kabuki theatre drama that has become a phenomenon in Japan. Directed by Lee Sang-il, the film tells the story of two actors who grow up under the protection of the same master and compete for the same inheritance: the right to rise to the top of the stage and carry forward a centuries-old art form. The film has gained popularity in Japan among both audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched film in the country’s history. Kokuho has been widely regarded as one of the most significant Japanese films of recent years, and it has also sparked broad interest in the traditional art form.

The 14th Helsinki Cine Aasia festival opens on Thursday, March 12, with Kokuho, a kabuki theatre drama that has become a phenomenon in Japan. Directed by Lee Sang-il, the film tells the story of two actors who grow up under the protection of the same master and compete for the same inheritance: the right to rise to the top of the stage and carry forward a centuries-old art form. The film has gained popularity in Japan among both audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched film in the country’s history. Kokuho has been widely regarded as one of the most significant Japanese films of recent years, and it has also sparked broad interest in the traditional art form.