The Mourning Children: Nagiko and the Girls Wearing Tsurubami Black

Synopsis

The story is set in Kyoto during the Heian period of the 10th century in Japan. Tens of thousands have perished, the streets are lined with corpses, children are left abandoned in the mountains, and packs of wild dogs keep watch beyond the city walls. While numerous literary and artistic works have portrayed the elegant image of the Heian era, Katabuchi's new production transports us back to Kyoto one thousand years ago, a time when the city was enveloped in darkness due to recurring outbreaks of plague.