Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001)

Synopsis: Yosuke has been laid off. His wife has given up on him and he's living on the streets of Tokyo, constantly looking for work. He stumbles upon an interesting story told by Taro, a homeless wanderer.... Yosuke has been laid off. His wife has given up on him and he's living on the streets of Tokyo, constantly looking for work. He stumbles upon an interesting story told by Taro, a homeless wanderer. Taro tells Yosuke that he stole a valuable gold Buddhist statue from a temple in Kyoto, and hid it in a house by a red bridge in a town on the Noto Peninsula near the Sea of Japan.

When Taro's suddenly dies, Yosuke recalls the story of the Buddhist statue and sets off to find it. Upon reaching the town he goes to a supermarket where he spies a woman shoplifting. After the woman leaves the scene, Yosuke notices an earring in a pool of water where she was standing. The woman turns out to be Saeko, granddaughter of Mitsu, who both live in the house by the red bridge.

Yosuke tracks down Saeko and returns the earring to her. This is the moment he first encounters the mystery of Saeko's water. This strange, kleptomaniac woman has the power to make flowers bloom out of season, and to draw fish from the sea into the river with the water she secretes when she experiences physical pleasure.

Yosuke gets a job with some fishermen and decides to stay in town. He gradually becomes obsessed with Saeko and her mysterious water, and as time goes on, Saeko's long suffering due to her water condition begins to heal with Yosuke's attention to it.

Meanwhile, another acquaintance from the streets of Tokyo, Gen, has also heard Taro's story. He arrives in town and asks Mitsu what she knows about the long-missing golden treasure. She reveals a story that puts both herself and Yosuke in danger, as Gen and his gang also seek the statue. -- © Cowboy Pictures [More]

Starring: Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Mitsuko Baisho, Kazuo Kitamura

Starring: Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Mitsuko Baisho, Kazuo Kitamura, Manasaku Fuwa, Yukiya Kitamura, Toshie Negishi, Sumiko Sakamoto

Director: Shohei Imamura

Director: Shohei Imamura
Screenwriter: Motofumi Tomikawa, Daisuke Tengan, Shohei Imamura
Producer: Hisa Iino
Composer: Shinichiro Ikebe
Studio: Cowboy Pictures

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