Yamazakura, The Cherry Tree in the Hills (2008)

Yamazakura, The Cherry Tree in the Hills 2008 / 山桜 2008 /

The film depicts the uneasy life of Isomura Noe with the difficult family she has married into after her former husband passed away. One day, on the journey back home from her aunt's grave, Noe meets a Samurai under a wide Cherry tree. A Samurai who she does not recognize, but who recognizes her. He turns out to be a former suitor that she had never met named Tezuka Yaichiro, a master swordsman who teaches swordsmanship at a local dojo. Meanwhile, the powerful new chief retainer of the village enacts land policies that threaten the very survival of the local farmers. Witnessing such hardship and suffering, Yaichiro makes a hard decision and attacks the official who has been lining his pockets in collusion with a wealthy farmer. A decision which could ultimately change the fate of both himself and Noe. ~~ Based on a short story written by Shuhei Fujisawa. (Source: JapaneseSamuraiDVD)