The original work of the film is a novel of the same name by Alessandro Barrico. The director is François Girard , famous for "The Red Violin" . In order to shoot this film, director Girard reunited old partners such as photography Alain Dostie, art design François Séguin, etc. In addition, the production lineup also includes famous musicians Ryuichi Sakamoto , fashion designerくろさわかずこand other Japanese industry figures.
The film started shooting in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan on February 27, 2006. A few weeks later, the film crew went to Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, and then moved to Piedmont, Rome and other places in Italy. The total production cost of the film is 3 billion yen. Director Gillard is committed to presenting "beauty" on the big screen. He photographed the western courtyard as pleasant as Monet's oil painting, while the Japanese scenery in the lens has the style of ink painting.
Producer Niv Fichman revealed that, from a certain perspective, this film is an extension of "Red Violin" , and its backbone is also "travel". As a traveler, the protagonist has a respect for what he sees, and he neither wants to change them nor dominate them, but strives to understand and accept them. Stories that take place in the East and the West are run through by this traveler.
