UJ Premiere

Short Synopsis

Compelling documentary about Japan’s oldest prostitute.

Review

An old lady who's make-up is as white as a Kabuki actor and dressed in an aristocratic dress, is standing in the streets of Yokohama. She has concealed her real name and age, and for 50 years after the war, has lived her life as a prostitute. She has been known as the most beautiful prostitute of her time and her elegant presence has become part of the city's scenery. People call her "Yokohama Mary".

In the winter of 1995, Mary suddenly disappeared. As she mentioned nothing about herself, rumors started to spread, and one day she became the heroine of an urban legend. There were also people who warmly watched over her. Ganjiro Nagato, a Chanson singer with not much time to live, tells us how he feels about Mary. " I want to meet Mary again. I want to sing in front of her again…"

The director of this documentary is a young 30 year old named Takahiro Nakamura. After Mary disappeared, he started interviewing various people, as if following her shadow. What he saw through Mary were the universal activities, feelings, and the subtleties of life of the people living in the city. After five years of filming, he created a documentary that was filled with pure sensation with genuine feelings towards his home tome Yokohama.

Jasper Sharp