product description

Kyoto, Japan, in the 1970s, a calligrapher delicately writes a birthday greeting on his daughter's face. When she grows up, Nagiko (Vivian Wu) remembers the event with much affection and excitement and begins a search for an ideal calligrapher-lover who will use her whole body as his personal paper. After much unfufilled searching, she meets Jerome (Ewan McGregor), an English translator, who convinces her that she should be the pen not the paper. She should write on his body and he will deliver her manuscripts, on his skin, to a publisher. However, the plan works too well and jealousy begins to rip through their passionate relationship with dramatic and devastating effect.