Kinuyo TANAKA 田中絹代
Girls Of Dark
Nippon Retro ²
In 1956, prostitution is outlawed in Japan. If transgressors don’t go to jail, they are sent to reform centers, like the film’s heroine Kuniko, who is eager to be reintegrated into society. But at each job she is placed, she is eventually ostracized due to her past. Like in LOVE LETTER, in GIRLS OF DARK Kinuyo TANAKA deals with the discrimination against sex workers, this time with a much stronger focus on the women’s experiences.
Tue., November 16, 2021, 18:00
Kino des DFF
DCP, Original with English subtitles
Classic Drama Social issues
女ばかりの夜
Onna bakari no yoru
Japan 1961
93 minutes
Director
Kinuyo TANAKA
Script
Sumie TANAKA based on a novel by Masako YANA
Cinematography
Asakazu NAKAI
Music
Hikaru HAYASHI
Production
Tokyo Eiga
World sales
Toho
Film print
Japan Foundation
Cast
Chisako HARA, Akemi KITA, Chieko NANIWA, Chikage AWASHIMA, Sadako SAWAMURA
About Kinuyo TANAKA
田中絹代
Kinuyo TANAKA (1909–1977) was one of the greatest movie stars of the classic studio era of Japanese cinema and appeared in over 250 films. Her acting roles earned her numerous awards. Since 1985 an award for lifetime achievements is given out annually in her name to a chosen actress at the prestigious Mainichi Film Awards. However, TANAKA was not just successful in front of the camera, but also behind it. She was only the second female director in Japanese film history (after Tazuko SAKANE) – and the first successful one. With her debut feature LOVE LETTERS (1953), she was already invited to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. In her films, she addressed the role of women in Japanese society and put a spotlight on female protagonists and female narrative perspectives.
In cooperation with Japanisches Kulturinstitut (The Japan Foundation) and DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum
