THEME EXPLORATION

courtesans and sex work

12 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
The Man Who Loved Women
The Man Who Loved Women
1983 · Blake Edwards
Black Girl
Black Girl
1966 · Ousmane Sembène
Untitled
Untitled
2019 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
35 rhums
35 rhums
2008 · Claire Denis
Much Loved
Much Loved
2015 · Nabil Ayouch
The Marginal Ones
The Marginal Ones
1978 · Mrinal Sen
Auto Focus
Auto Focus
2002 · Paul Schrader
Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway
Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway
2026 · Takahiro Hasui
A Woman of Rumour / The Crucified Woman
A Woman of Rumour / The Crucified Woman
1954 · Kenji Mizoguchi
Smart Working
Smart Working
2026 · Svevo Moltrasio
Black Robe
Black Robe
1991 · Bruce Beresford
A Woman's Testament
A Woman's Testament
1960 · Kon Ichikawa
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Jacques Demy France

Explored desire, transaction, and romance in urban settings through stylized narratives that blur the lines between love and commerce.

 Keiichirō Yoshida Japan

Created intellectually rigorous explorations of sexuality, power dynamics, and social structures surrounding sex work in modernizing Japan.

 Agnès Varda France

Examined marginalized lives and street economies with humanistic compassion, documenting the complexities of survival and dignity in urban spaces.