The Pornographers

Plot

Mr. Ogata lives a complicated life: he is a pornographer making two skin flicks per day and trying to stay beneath the radar screen of the local mob; he deeply loves his ailing wife Haru who's cursed by the restless spirit of her dead first husband; he also has a mistress, a step-son who wants to go to university, and a step-daughter entering adolescence. He lusts after his step-daughter, and when Haru finds out about those sexual advances, she asks him to marry the girl. Haru even signs over her business to him, and a crisis ensues when Ogata uses her nest egg to buy equipment so he and his pals can set up their own film processing lab. Surreal images and events weave their way into Ogata's life.

Why watch

Mr. Ogata juggles the demands of his pornographic film business while navigating the complexities of his family life, including ailing wife Haru and a step-daughter he finds himself drawn to. Watching this film is like stepping into a surreal world where the absurdity of human desire collides with the harsh realities of life, leaving viewers to ponder the moral ambiguities that define Ogata's existence.

Talking points

• the ethics of desire
• the impact of societal norms on personal relationships
• the intersection of art and exploitation
• the role of family in shaping identity

Cultural context

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