When her husband is jailed for radical scholarship and accused of being a Communist, Kayo Nogami (Sayuri Yoshinaga) faces the daunting task of raising two daughters -- and enduring the biting cruelties of neighborhood gossip -- all on her own. Yoji Yamada directs this 1940s period piece set in the shadow of a rising tide of Japanese nationalism, a heartfelt family drama based on the writings of Teruyo Nogami.