Silk, sweat, and survival — where capitalism chews up teenage girls and spits out fortunes.
The story of the silk industry and the young girls who worked as silk spinners in the early 1900s in Japan. The silk mills were located in Okaya which lies just beyond the Nomugi Pass. The women and girls worked in a hot, humid atmosphere without rest, and endured those conditions and sexual harassment to earn money for their poor families. Across the ocean, it was the great depression in America.
Acting
Shinobu Otake's quiet fury will haunt you.
Direction
Yamamoto's unflinching gaze refuses comfort.
Production
Sweat-drenched authenticity in every frame.
Director
Satsuo Yamamoto
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on real 1900s 'factory girls' who helped industrialize Japan; their songs became protest anthems.
Yamamoto filmed in actual former mill locations; surviving workers consulted, some appearing as extras.
JP
