Since its founding in 1969 by the French Directors’ Guild, the Directors’ Fortnight has served as a vital and boldly independent counter program to the Cannes Film Festival. Following a successful launch in 2024, Directors’ Fortnight Extended returns to Los Angeles with a curated selection of the 2025 program at the Directors Guild of America.
Multi-film Fortnight Extended passes can be purchased here.
About the film:
Upon the death of his father, the head of a yakuza gang, Kikuo is taken under the wing of the renowned Kabuki actor Hanjiro Hanai. He becomes his disciple alongside Shunsuke, Hanjiro’s only son. The two young men decide to dedicate their lives to the art of Kabuki. Over the course of fifty years, they experience glory and downfall, scandal and triumph, friendship and betrayal.
TRT: 174 min
Directors' Fortnight Extended: Los Angeles is presented by the Quinzaine des cinéastes, Acropolis Cinema,Villa Albertine, MUBI, European Languages and Movies in America (ELMA), and the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities.
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Start watching now at mubi.com/fortnight.
"A vivid portrait of a legendary kabuki actor over the course of his career, Kokuho joins a rich tradition of films that depict the personal cost of making art." —Ryan Swen, Variety
"Kokuho succeeds on multiple levels: as a character-driven drama, a cultural chronicle, and a meditation on legacy, sacrifice, and art. This is a richly crafted, deeply felt work that lingers long after the curtain falls." —Panos Kotzathanasis, Asian Movie Pulse
(Available to download after screening date)