Silk is the film adaptation of Italian author Alessandro Baricco's novel of the same name. It was released in September 2007 through New Line Cinema and directed by The Red Violin director, François Girard.
American actor Michael Pitt stars in the lead role of the French silkworm smuggler Hervé Joncour, with British actress Keira Knightley as his wife, Hélène, a teacher and keen gardener. Japanese actors Miki Nakatani and Koji Yakusho are also featured. Exterior Japanese scenes were filmed in the city of Sakata. Knightley's scenes were filmed in Sermoneta, Italy, a small medieval village near Latina.
