Ryoko, 21 Years Old

Directed by Yutaka Tsuchiya

The filmmaker looks into problems of personal communication by focusing on the letters of a woman who has done enjokosai, that is, a young woman who agrees to talk with or meet or go to a hotel with (usually older) men for money. The director himself met Ryoko, the film's subject, via her telephone messaging system. Discarding the flood of sensational images found in the mass media, this film illustrates the thoughts of Ryoko and others from the perspective of those actually involved.