Her Mother's Profession (Uwasa no onna) (Directors Suite) (1954)

Master filmmaker Kenji Mizoguchi continues his scathing indictment of the sex industry with Her Mother's Profession, which stars Mizoguchi's muse Kinuyo Tanaka and one of Japan's finest acting talents Yoshiko Kuga ( Ohayo , Equinox Flower , The Idiot ).

Hatsuko is a widow who runs a properous geisha house in post-war Kyoto. A firm but fair madam, Hatsuko enjoys a good professional relationship with her "girls" and a healthy flirtation with the brothel's much younger doctor, Kenji. But Hatsuko's world starts to crumble when her daughter, Yukiko, returns home after living in Tokyo. Deeply ashamed of her mother's undignified occupation and wracked with depression, Yukiko slowly begins to regain her spirit after meeting the handsome Kenji. But when Hatsuko finds out about the love affair, the shocking consequences will shape the rest of their lives.

DVD Special Features

Original theatrical trailer