Underplayed Gems

Golden Flower: What Is Hidden Is the True Flower, What Is Gone Is the Butterfly (2009)

Golden Flower: What Is Hidden Is the True Flower, What Is Gone Is the Butterfly poster
Original title
黄金花 秘すれば花、死すれば蝶
Directed by
Takeo Kimura
Genre
drama
Country
Japan
Runtime
1h 19m
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like this

How it feels

An elderly botanist who spent his life devoted to science ignores worldly pleasures. On his 80th birthday, he discovers a glowing golden flower that may grant immortality. This event stirs up memories from his youth that he had long suppressed.

dreamlikecontemplativenostalgicwhimsicalpoignantslow-burnmysticalbittersweet

What happens

『黄金花-秘すれば花、死すれば蝶-』は、2009年に公開された日本の映画作品。『夢のまにまに』に続く木村威夫の長編映画監督としての第二作作品である。 老人ホーム「浴陽荘」。そこには植物学者の牧草太郎を始め、物理学者、役者、バーのママ、板前など、多くの孤独な老人が暮らしている。牧は人生の大半を植物学の研究に費やし、遊びも酒も女も俗世間の全てを顧みずに生きてきた。そうして迎えた80歳の誕生日。彼は、職員の青年と自然薯を掘りに出かけ、黄金色に光り輝く妖しい花を見つける。それは、彼が長年探し求めていたヒマラヤ聖女の傍らに咲くという不老不死の花“黄金花”であった。その日を境に、植物学に没頭するためにあえて封印したはずの青年時代の記憶の断片が、牧の中に大きな渦となって押し寄せてくる。 (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.