Tome (Meika Seri) is a resourceful and defiant 19-year-old sex worker who draws in customers around the red-light district of Osaka. She lives with her mentally disabled younger brother and her mother, who is also in the profession. Determined to strike out on her own, Tome will accept any client as long as they can pay. But in a depraved world where women have no choice than to sell their bodies, it is hard for even the strongest to survive.

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).

DIRECTED BY NOBORU TANAKA
JAPAN | 1974 | JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES