Special Series

The Masseurs and a Woman

按摩と女

Directed by: Hiroshi Shimizu
1938 / 66 minutes / Unclassified all ages

Whispers of longing echo through the mountain mist.

Set against the tranquil backroads of a mountain resort, The Masseurs and a Woman unfolds like a quiet sketchbook of fleeting connections. Two blind masseurs, Toku and Fuku, arrive at the inn on their annual visit, joining a curious cast of guests: flirtatious students, a reclusive man and his young nephew, and a mysterious woman with a past she’s trying to outrun. As romantic gestures are exchanged and curious rumours are whispered, Toku finds himself drawn to the woman, whose elegance hides deeper troubles. When inexplicable thefts unsettle the inn, suspicion quietly swirls, and harmony wavers in the face of uncertainty. 

Shot on stunning locations with Shimizu’s signature restrained style, The Masseurs and a Woman reveals a subtle, bittersweet portrait of longing and human fragility. Charming yet melancholic, this drama acts as a gentle meditation on impermanence, chance encounters and the aching pains of loneliness hidden behind smiling faces.