Silk is a 2007 drama film directed by François Girard. An international co-production of Canada, Italy, and Japan, Silk is an adaptation of Italian author Alessandro Baricco's 1996 novel of the same name. It had its world premiere at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2007.American actor Michael Pitt stars in the lead role of the French silkworm smuggler Hervé Joncour, with English actress Keira Knightley as his wife, Hélène, a teacher and keen gardener. Japanese actors Miki Nakatani and Kōji 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. Hélène's garden was filmed at Villa Lina, near Ronciglione.