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Memoirs of a geisha - Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Gong Li, Rob Marshall

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Set in a mysterious exotic world, which still casts a potent spell today, Sayuri Nitta (Ziyi Zhang) tells the story of her life as a geisha. It begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a 9-year-old girl with unusual blue-grey eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. We witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate make-up, and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist; competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money that goes with it. Despite the treacherous Hatsumomo (Gong Li) who nearly breaks her spirit, the girl blossoms into a legendary geisha under the guidance of her mentor Mameha (Michelle Yeoh). Beautiful and accomplished, Sayuri captivates the most powerful men of her day, but is haunted by her secret love for the one man who is out of her reach, the mysterious Chairman (Ken Watanabe).

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film Japan geisha child adult kimono dance music slavery biography

Persons of interest

Tsai Chin .... Auntie
Li Gong .... Hatsumomo
Togo Igawa .... Tanaka
Yôki Kudô .... O-Kabo
Kaori Momoi .... O-kami
Faith Shin .... Little Kiko
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa .... The Baron
Kenneth Tsang .... General
Ken Watanabe .... The Chairman
Zoe Weizenbaum .... Young Pumpkin
Kôji Yakusho .... Nobu
Michelle Yeoh .... Mameha
Karl Yune .... Koichi
Ziyi Zhang .... Sayuri Nitta
Arthur Golden .... Author
Akiva Goldsman .... Screenwriter
Ron Bass .... Screenwriter
Robin Swicord .... Screenwriter
Doug Wright .... Screenwriter
Rob Marshall .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Memoirs of a geisha official movie site
Memoirs of a geisha production notes
Memoirs of a geisha movie trailers:

QuickTime

Awards and film festivals:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS - Oscars) 2005: Won: Achievement in art direction (John Myhre, Gretchen Rau), Achievement in cinematography (Dion Beebe), Achievement in costume design (Colleen Atwood); Nominated: Achievement in music written for motion pictures - Original score (John Williams), Achievement in sound editing (Wylie Stateman), Achievement in sound mixing (Kevin O'Connell, Greg P Russell, Rick Kline, John Pritchett)
Australian Film Institute (AFI) 2006: Won: AFI International Award for Excellence in Filmmaking (Dion Beebe - Cinematography)
British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 2005: Won: Anthony Asquith Award for achievement in film music (John Williams), Cinematography (Dion Beebe), Costume design (Colleen Atwood); Nominated: Actress in a leading role (Ziyi Zhang), Production design (John Myhre), Make-up and hair (Noriko Watanabe, Kate Biscoe, Lyndell Quiyou)
Hollywood Foreign press Association (Golden Globes) 2005: Won: Original Score (John Williams); Nominated: Actress In A leading Role - Drama (Ziyi Zhang)
MTV Movie Awards 2006: Nominated: Sexiest performance (Ziyi Zhang)
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2005: Nominated: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Ziyi Zhang)
Visual Effects Society Awards 2005: Nominated: Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture (Robert Stromberg, Julia Frey, Paul Graff, Adam Watkins)