6 Period Romance Movies To Binge-Watch
Still craving more period romance movies after watching Season 3 of Bridgerton? Here are our top six period romance movies—four with a unique Asian twist. From Japan’s Edo period, the troubled colonial days in Asia, to the Jane-Austen-like scenes of the early 20th century—travel back in time with these movies.
A Tale Of Samurai Cooking – A True Love Story
Japan
Based on the real-life story of a family of renowned chefs in the Edo period, A Tale Of Samurai Cooking finds romance between Haru, a young divorcee and an excellent cook, and aspiring samurai Yasunobu, who is the heir to the famous chef family. After marrying Yasunobu, Haru discovers that despite his roots, her new husband is a disaster in the kitchen, and dreams only of becoming a samurai on the battlefield.
Haru then takes on the mission to teach Yasunobu the ways of the culinary arts.
Sweet Dreams
Indonesia / Netherlands
Nominated Best Film (Golden Leopard) at the Locarno Film Festival, 2023, Sweet Dreams is a rich, costume-drama following the downfall of the Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia. When the head of the family empire Jan collapses from a heart attack, his wife Agathe writes for their estranged son Cornelis to take over the family’s sugar business. But when he and his heavily pregnant wife arrive at the plantation, what they find is a dying empire, workers on strike and a will that has written him out, leaving Jan’s entire inheritance for his illegitimate son—a young boy birthed from his housekeeper and mistress Siti.
Full of European heavy-drapery of the early 1900s, bold colours and a striking score, Ena Sendijarevic’s artistry in Sweet Dreams paints a powerful commentary of the waning days of Dutch colonialism and its effects on the local Indonesian community.
Catch the film’s premiere this June on CinemaWorld and anytime on CinemaWorld On Demand.
Gaadi: Children Of The Sun
Sri Lanka
By the acclaimed Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage, whose film Paradise (2023) won the Kim Jeseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival 2023, his period-romance Gaadi: Children of the Sun (2019) was a hit among Sri Lankans and international audiences. The film is set in the lush highlands of 1814 Kandy, Ceylon—the pre-colonial name of Sri Lanka. As the oppressive South Indian rulers and British colonisers encroach on the Sinhala nobles, Tikiri, a young noblewoman, finds herself outcast by her people. Stripped of dignity and left to her own defences, she meets Vijaya, a strong-willed man of the Rodiya clan—the lowest caste in Sri Lanka’s social hierarchy.
Gaadi’s exploration of power, prejudice, love, and identity through Tikiri’s struggle transcends both time and culture, painting a periodic masterpiece that continues to touch the hearts of contemporary audiences.
In an interview with Director Vithanage and actress Dinara Punchihewa who played Tikiri, they have shared about the inspirations and behind-the-scenes of the film. Vithanage has also broken down Gaadi scene-by-scene, discussing the cultural significance and symbolism in the film.
The Kiss
Denmark
Danish period-romance The Kiss by Palme d’Or winning Danish director, Bille August, explores a troubled love-story between the duty-driven officer Anton and Edith, the naive daughter of Baron von Løvenskjold. During a dinner at the Baron’s home, Anton discovers that Edith is handicapped. Bound by duty and empathy for the girl, Anton decides to spend more time with her, and a romance soon ensues as Edith falls deeper in love with him–but is this what Anton truly wants?
Conflict by duty, love, and cowardice, Anton finds himself strapped in an uncertain relationship with Edith.
Listen in on our interview with the award-winning director Bille August here.
Stormskerry Maja
Finland
A historical-epic brought to life by terrific storms and seas, heartfelt performances and a larger-than-life story—Finnish director Tiina Lymi’s Stormskerry Maja is a cinematic masterpiece to behold. It follows the life story of Maja who reluctantly marries humble fisherman Janne at the tender age of seventeen. Moving away from everything familiar to the remote island of Stormskerry, Maja and Janne find an unexpected love and home in each other.
More than a love story, however, Stormskerry Maja tells a tale of self-discovery amidst never-ending hardships. On the island where survival is a constant challenge, Maja, often left to fend for her family and home when Janne travels afar to earn a living, awakens to her true potential.
In an intimate interview with Lymi, she shares her experience working on the Stormskerry Maja. Find the interview on CinemaWorld’s YouTube channel.
Princess Khutulun: The Wrestling Princess
Mongolia
A descendant of legendary emperor Genghis Khan, Princess Khutulun is a mighty warrior feared across the Mongol Empire. Yet, as a woman, she has to oblige her father’s demands and is fated to enter an arranged marriage with the prince of Pamir.
But on the night their emissaries meet, Khutulun’s father is ambushed by an assassin sent by his sworn enemy, and the tribe’s sacred scripture, the Golden Sutra, is stolen. Vowing revenge, Khutulun and her clan set out across the Mongolian steppes to retrieve the sacred text and restore peace—and along her journey, the iron-clad princess crosses paths with another fellow warrior.
This epic is inspired by the real-life historical figure herself, marking Khutulun’s rise to power in the Mongol Empire and her role in shaping history in Central Asia.
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