Nagiko's aunt tells her that when she is twenty-eight years old, the official book of observations will be officially 1000 years old, and that she, Nagiko, will be the same age as Sei Shōnagon when she had written the book (in addition to sharing her first name). Nagiko's father celebrates her birthday retelling the Japanese creation myth and writing on her flesh in beautiful calligraphy, while her aunt reads a list of "beautiful things" from Sei Shōnagon's Pillow Book. The roots of this obsession lie in her youth in Kyoto, when her father would write characters of good fortune on her face. Nagiko seeks a lover who can match her desire for carnal pleasure with her admiration for poetry and calligraphy. The film is narrated by Nagiko, a Japanese born model living in Hong Kong. The film's title, " The Pillow Book", refers to an ancient Japanese diary written by Sei Shōnagon, whose actual name is believed to have been Kiyohara Nagiko, from whence the protagonist's name in the film. The film is a melding of dark modern drama with idealised Chinese and Japanese cultural themes and settings, and centres on body painting. The Pillow Book is a 1996 erotic drama film written and directed by Peter Greenaway, which stars Vivian Wu as Nagiko, a Japanese model in search of pleasure and new cultural experience from various lovers.
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