Kinuyo TANAKA 田中絹代

女ばかりの夜

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.

女ばかりの夜
Onna bakari no yoru

日本 1961

93 分

監督
田中絹代

脚本
Sumie TANAKA Masako YANAの小説を基に

撮影
Asakazu NAKAI

音楽
Hikaru HAYASHI

製作
Tokyo Eiga

海外セールス
Toho

フィルム所蔵
Japan Foundation

キャスト
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.