An exiled magician finds an opportunity for revenge against his enemies muted when his daughter and the son of his chief enemy fall in love in this uniquely structured retelling of the 'The Tempest'.
All is peaceful in the garden of William Blake - a sanctuary from the stirrings of revolution on the streets. The arrival of an unexpected visitor, Thomas Paine , provokes an impassioned debate between the visionary artist and the political activist.
The story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents' struggle to free their son becomes part of a larger political battle that pits the Papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification.
The Grass Arena is based on the autobiography of John Healy. Raised in an strongly religious family, with an abusive father, John soon learns that he has to defend himself. Growing into adulthood he takes up boxing, but soon falls victim to alcoholism. His boxing career over, John takes to the Grass Arena (the park) where he lives with other alcoholics. Prison time introduces him to a new and unexpected path.
Jakob arrives at the Institute Benjamenta (run by brother and sister Johannes and Lisa Benjamenta) to learn to become a servant. With seven other men, he studies under Lisa: absurd lessons of movement, drawing circles, and servility. He asks for a better room. No other students arrive and none leave for employment. Johannes is unhappy, imperious, and detached from the school's operation. Lisa is beautiful, at first tightly controlled, then on the verge of breakdown. There's a whiff of incest. Jakob is drawn to Lisa, and perhaps she to him. As winter sets in, she becomes catatonic. Things get worse; Johannes notes that all this has happened since Jakob came. Is there any cause and effect?
An upper class English family owns a villa in the Irish countryside. When the man of the house leaves to fight in WW2, his mother, wife, dying butler, maid and other staff's life becomes a bit hectic and some love affairs start to bloom.
Jay, a failed musician, walked out of his family and now earns a living as head bartender in a trendy London pub. Every Wednesday afternoon a woman comes to his house for graphic, almost wordless, sex. One day Jay follows her and finds out about the rest of her life (and that her name is Claire). This eventually disrupts their relationship.
Taiji has been estranged from his mother Mitsuko for years. Due to a meeting with his friend, he looks back at his past with his mother. After not seeing her for years, Taiji sees Mitsuko again. He tries to regain his mother's love.
Aimi (Ito Ono) lost her mother due to the Kyoto earthquake in 1995. She remembered watching whales with her mother and moved to Okinawa to see whale's jumping out of the water again. Aimi has now lost hope for life. During this time, she meets a young Vietnamese man, Khoa Nguyen (Win Morisaki), who came to Okinawa to receive training at an IT company. Aimi is moved by his nostalgia for his hometown and his passion for work. She faces her life again and develops feeling for him.