Βούτυρο

The food-loving chef Manako Kajii is imprisoned in Tokyo, convicted of murdering three lonely businessmen whom she is rumored to have seduced with her exquisite home cooking. The case captivates the imagination of Japanese society, while Kajii refuses all contact with the press.

Until journalist Rika Machida writes her a letter asking for the recipe for beef stew—the final meal of one of her alleged victims—and Kajii replies. Rika begins visiting Kajii, hoping that, over time, she will break through her resistance and ultimately uncover the dark secrets surrounding the case.

The increasingly frequent prison visits turn into true culinary master classes. Rika, who until then had cooked only simple meals, discovers a world of gastronomic pleasures. The calorie-rich dishes inevitably begin to affect her figure. She feels that this “transformation” is changing the way those around her treat her, and she starts to wonder whether she may have more in common with Kajii than she initially thought…

Inspired by the real-life 2012 case of Kanae Kijima, the serial killer known as the “Black Widow” who was sentenced to death, Butter is a captivating exploration of the complex relationship between overeating and trauma, as well as the deeply rooted misogyny and sexism of contemporary Japan.