Mizu no Onna

Woman of Water is set in and around a public bathhouse in rural Japan run by Ryo (UA), whose name means "cool, clear water," and her elderly father. All the major events in her life are accompanied by rainfall, most significantly the day that both her father and boyfriend die in separate incidents ...more

Writer/director Hidenori Sugimori came up with Woman of Water specifically for UA, the eccentric, Björk-like Japanese pop star whose stage name combines the Swahili symbols for "flower" and "kill." Like the character she plays in the film, UA has always associated the important events in her life with water, and Sugimori regards her as something of a modern shaman. His film has the feeling of an ancient legend transposed to the present day. Even more than the characters, it is nature that is ...more