Karayuki-San, the Making of a Prostitute

From the late 1950s through the '70s, more than 90,000 of the ethnic Koreans in Japan emigrated to North Korea, a country that promised them affluence, justice, and an end to discrimination. KAZOKU NO KUNI tells the story of one of their number, who returns for just a short period. For the first time in 25 years, Sonho is reunited with his family in Tokyo after being allowed to undergo an operation there. Sonho’s younger sister Rie is at the centre of the film, and is not hard to recognise as the director’s alter-ego. In her documentaries DEAR PYONGYANG and SONA, THE OTHER MYSELF, Yang Yonghi told the story of her own life, and how, at age six, she experienced the departure of her three older brothers, who left their family for Pyongyang.

Longinotto's documentary is about Brenda Myers-Powell, who fights against sexual exploitation and supports prostitutes in Chicago. Brenda knows what she is talking about: her own story, involving teenage prostitution and a life of violence and abuse, is in stark contrast to her dauntless energy and optimism.

The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji Restoration. It examines the effects of the political and social upheaval of the time, and culminates in a revelrous march on the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which turns into a massacre. Characteristically, Imamura focuses not on the leaders of the country, but on characters in the lower classes and on the fringes of society.

In the shady black markets and bombed-out hovels of post–World War II Tokyo, a tough band of prostitutes eke out a dog-eat-dog existence, maintaining tenuous friendships and a semblance of order in a world of chaos. But when a renegade ex-soldier stumbles into their midst, lusts and loyalties clash, with tragic results. With Gate of Flesh, visionary director Seijun Suzuki delivers a whirlwind of social critique and pulp drama, shot through with brilliant colors and raw emotions.

A documentary film showcasing life in postwar Japan as seen through the eyes of a bar hostess.

A woman, Tome, is born to a lower class family in Japan in 1918. The title refers to an insect, repeating its mistakes, as in an infinite circle. Imamura, with this metaphor, introduces the life of Tome, who keeps trying to change her poor life.

In Edo Period Japan, a noblewoman's banishment for her love affair with a lowly page signals the beginning of her inexorable fall.

In the city of Yokosuka, Kinta and his lover Haruko, both involved with yakuza, brave the post-occupation period with a goal to be together.

Subu makes pornographic films. He sees nothing wrong with it. They are an aid to a repressed society, and he uses the money to support his landlady, Haru, and her family. From time to time, Haru shares her bed with Subu, though she believes her dead husband, reincarnated as a carp, disapproves. Director Shohei Imamura has always delighted in the kinky exploits of lowlifes, and in this 1966 classic, he finds subversive humor in the bizarre dynamics of Haru, her Oedipal son, and her daughter, the true object of her pornographer-boyfriend’s obsession. Imamura’s comic treatment of such taboos as voyeurism and incest sparked controversy when the film was released, but The Pornographers has outlasted its critics, and now seems frankly ahead of its time.

Like a girl runaway, Tsuyu moves to Osaka to work as a bar hostess. She meets the owner of a model school, Yoko, and seriously thinks about becoming a fashion model. Yoko tells her that she can move in to Yoko’s house to take lessons, while making a living at the same time.

“In Search of Unreturned Soldiers was about former soldiers of the Japanese army who chose not to return to Japan after the war. I found several of them who had remained in Thailand. Two years later, I invited one of them to make his first return visit to Japan and documented it in Outlaw-Matsu Returns Home. During the filming, my subject Fujita asked me to buy him a cleaver so that he could kill his ‘vicious brother.’ I was shocked, and asked him to wait a day so that I could plan how to film the scene. By the next morning, to my relief, Fujita had calmed down and changed his mind about killing his brother. But I couldn’t have had a sharper insight into the ethical questions provoked by this kind of documentary filmmaking.” —Shôhei Imamura

By going to the Philippines, Imamura comes to meet people living in an extreme poverty. He discovers very quickly that some communities are under the control of cruel & armed pirates. Imamura will come to meet those men in order to understand their position.

Famed filmmaker tracks down former Japanese soldiers in Malaysia.

An unadorned perspective on impoverished life in Okinawa, an island in southern Japan whose modern history was tainted by the bloody battle for the Pacific. 17-year-old Aoi works as a nightclub hostess in order to earn rent money and to provide for her little boy. She also supports her lazy husband Masaya, who has no qualms about giving her a few slaps, particularly after he loses his job. What chance does this young family have to scrape their way out of the social mire, where they were driven by poverty and the imprudence of youth? How dark does reality have to get before it stifles the rays of hope that filter through? An intimate story that presents a less glitzy picture of Japan than is customary, demonstrating that social inequality impacts all corners of the globe.

A combination of fantasy and comedy, director Shohei Shiozaki’s debut film is a youthful tale portraying the importance of friendship through the struggles of an immigrant family, while offering a beautiful celebration of Japanese culture.

Genji Monogatari Sennenki: Genji is a Japanese anime adaptation of The Tale of Genji. Originally, it was meant to be an anime adaptation of Waki Yamato's The Tale of Genji manga, but the director decided to make it a direct adaptation of the original tale. The anime is directed by Osamu Dezaki. The series premiered on Fuji TV on January 15, 2009.

Matsushima Nanako grew up in a very poor family and is thus determined to marry a rich man so that she will never have to go through poverty ever again, and is named the "gokon queen" in her quest to find her man. Tsutsumi Shinichi is a brilliant academic (Fields prize winner - Nobel Prize equivalent in Mathematics) who gave up his studies to take over his deceased father's fish-shop. They meet through a doctor's "gokon" (group date) and she falls in love with him under the mistaken assumption that he is a very rich man

The brightest young vet students from around the world take on the ultimate test as they are plunged into the African wilderness for a crash hands-on course in animal conservation. Under the guidance of wildlife vet Dr Will Fowlds, whose family have lived on the Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa for five generations, the students will work long hard days in the extreme environment. Not knowing when they will be called upon to sedate an elephant or assist in a rhino’s autopsy, will they rise to the challenge or be crushed by the pressure? Famed vet Steve Leonard will be on hand to help out and offer support to the strained and emotional students. Set in the exotic, beauty of wild Africa the young vets are far from home as they face the greatest challenge of their lives.

A young daughter (Mana Ashida) supports her father (Etsushi Toyokawa) who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Comedy series about three young women living in Leeds who've graduated, had a year out, and are now struggling to find a job they're passionate about, a place to live that is half decent and a boyfriend they actually like. A sitcom about making terrible decisions, but having a brilliant time doing it. The show focuses on Meg, her eccentric cousin Bunny and their friend Laura as they discover that life might just be a bit tougher than they had imagined. From demeaning Promotions jobs complete with mad outfits to pursuing the men of their dreams - yet dating the men of their nightmares - the girls face '#FML-worthy' disasters in both their work and personal lives.

Inspired by the historical events of 1666 and with the decadent backdrop of King Charles II’s court, The Great Fire focuses on the circumstances which led to the catastrophic fire, Thomas Farriner’s family life at the bakery in Pudding Lane, the playboy King’s extravagant lifestyle, and Farriner’s complex relationship with his fictional sister in law, Sarah.

Sakurai Misaki has not dated in a long time. She has focused on her work as a pâtissier to eventually run her own business. One day, she gets fired from work. She then meets her first love from high school Shibasaki Chiaki. Misaki works part-time at Chiaki's restaurant and also stays there. While she lives with Chiaki at his restaurant, she realizes that Chiaki's two younger brothers Touma and Kanata also live there.

Omori Momoe is twenty-seven-years-old, single and works at Studio Delta. She is thin and attractive. She should be courting suitors and taking her pick of the crop. Well, actually she does. She is having sex despite being single. In fact, she is making herself available sexually to five different men. to her it is just a disposable and habitual object of pleasure. She is sensual, sexy and adds the pleasure of sex toys to her repertoire of pleasures.

As told through clips from 183 female directors, this epic history of the cinema focuses on women’s integral role in the development of film art. Using almost a thousand film extracts from thirteen decades and five continents, Mark Cousins asks how films are made, shot and edited; how stories are shaped and how movies depict life, love, politics, humour and death, all through the compelling lens of some of the world’s greatest filmmakers – all of them women.

Saori Fujiwara comes back home after work. She opens a bamboo blind and burns incense. She purchased the bamboo blind and incense while in Bali. With the relaxed setting, Saori Fujiwara takes a nap, but, suddenly, a man dressed in clothing from the Heian period appears in front of her. She talks to him. Suddenly Saori Fujiwara thinks of the name Genji Hikaru, the protagonist of from classic literature "The Tale of Genji." She blurts out "Genji Hikaru" and the man unexpectedly hugs her.

Focusing on the life of Nene, the good wife who supported Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the world of the Warring States and the rise and fall of the Toyotomi family are depicted from the perspective of a woman.

For five years, from 1975 to 1980, the Yorkshire Ripper murders cast a dark shadow over the lives of women in the North of England. 13 women were dead and the police seemed incapable of catching the killer. No one felt safe – and every man was a suspect.

20-year-old rookie police officer Kawai Mai works hard at a police box and feels both physically and mentally drained. She has never felt appreciated even though she supposedly works for the sake of the area’s residents. In addition, she does not find working at a police box rewarding. Mai is about to hand in her resignation when she meets 30-year-old Fuji Seiko, the former ace detective of the Criminal Investigations Division. Seiko is said to have been forced to transfer to the police box for harassing a subordinate at work but … … This encounter between Mai and Seiko will significantly change their lives as they are suddenly paired up. This odd pair struggle to help and support each other in cases, routine duties and romance?! And Seiko’s true reason for coming to the police box is revealed.

Protecting the peace of the Edo Period is the fictitious but cool plainclothes detective they call Boss Heiji, Zenigata Heiji. A friend of the people, he hates corruption and will not take any kind of bribe, which means he lives in total poverty and sometimes it takes two months just to come up with the rent. The ones there to help Heiji are his old, but comical friend, Hachigoro and his beloved wife, O-Shizu. O-Shizu, who always sends Heiji off after a "kiribi" (good-luck purification), is the one supporting Heiji and his heart... it is for O-Shizu's sake that he's tried to hold back on his "coin tossing" and be thrifty.

Dramatizing one of the most infamously notorious and shocking serial killer cases in the world, the hunt for Peter Sutcliffe, commonly dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper, between October 1975 and January 1981, South Yorkshire police undertook the biggest manhunt in British criminal history. The search for Sutcliffe lasted five years, involved over a thousand officers and changed the way the British police worked forever.