The Oldest Profession

Following in the footsteps of her mother, 19-year-old Tome has become a sex worker to support herself and her disabled brother in the red-light district of Osaka. Challenged by grisly clients, an environment of ceaseless criminality and an irreducible ennui, Tome finds brief respite in a charged flirtation with a mysterious man whose face she suspects to have seen on a “Wanted” poster around town.

A standout by Roman Porno master director Noboru Tanaka, THE OLDEST PROFESSION distinguishes itself within the genre with its bold use of form, gut-wrenching performances and uncompromising depiction of the realities of sex work in 1970s Japan, creating one of “the most distinctive titles of the category” (Asian Movie Pulse).