Sakuran

A rebellious young courtesan fights the patriarchy in this stylish manga adaptation.

Sold into a brothel in 18th century Edo as a young girl, rebellious Kiyoha (Anna Tsuchiya, Kamikaze Girls) rises through the ranks over the years despite her disregard for the rules, and becomes next in line as oiran (head courtesan).

In between scraps with her fellow courtesans, Kiyoha keeps a constant eye on finding her way out of servitude, but when she begins to develop feelings for the gentle Sojiro (Hiroki Narimiya), the constraints of her profession reach breaking point.

Curator's note

Distinguished by its bold visual style – replete with gorgeous candy-coloured sets and flashy period costumes – Sakuran is a kaleidoscopic tour de force and the feature film debut by celebrated art photographer Mika Ninagawa, who makes the most of her knack for eye-catching compositions.

Adapted from the popular manga by Moyoco Anno and featuring a memorably vibrant soundtrack by renowned musician Ringo Sheena, Sakuran draws parallels with bold, female-helmed 'anti-biopics' Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006) and Corsage (Marie Kreutzer, 2022).

Catch the iconic costumes from the film in our exhibition Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion.