History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess (1970)

Description:

"This is a documentary film about history of Japan in 1945-1970. The main narrative takes shape through describing events in one (burakumin) woman's unstable personal life. It consists of archive footage of political turmoil, demonstrations and other news flashes on one hand, and material from interviews with her on the other. In the interview the woman describes her relationships with various men, starting from the age of 15 in 1945. After failed and violent relationships with Japanese men, she starts to seek comfort by prostituting herself to various American soldiers and sailors. This reflects the development of the post-war relations between United States and Japan, which is shown in the background. Yet she seems mostly uninterested in the political patterns evolving around her, and she even actively seeks denial when she is shown photographs of Vietnamese civilian casualties."