Mishima Yukiko directs new film Two Cigarettes Three Nights at Tokyo International Film Festival

Plot and character dynamics

The story follows Kanna, a picture book illustrator who feels bored by her live-in boyfriend. She maintains a physical relationship with a cynical married lover while her college friend Haseo returns after seven years. Haseo works as a salesman for a drug company and keeps their friendship strictly platonic despite his reputation as a womanizer.

Production locations and style

The film was shot in Kyoto, Hiroshima and Toyama Prefecture rather than using typical tourist spots. The principals stroll along a riverbank or on railroad tracks to renew their friendship instead of posing against temples. Mishima stated that choosing a location involves finding where the scene comes to life instead of just picking a pretty spot.