United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, 1996. Runtime: 124’ English Italian subtitles.

Meet the Director: Peter Greenaway

Directed by: Peter Greenaway
Produced by: Alpha Films, Channel Four Films, Delux Productions, Kasander & Wigman Productions, Le Studio Canal+, Woodline Films
Cast: Vivian Wu, Ewan McGregor, Ken Ogata, Yoshi Oida, Hideko Yoshida, Judy Ongg
Screenplay: Peter Greenaway
Cinematography: Sacha Vierny
Editing: Peter Greenaway, Chris Wyatt
Music: Brian Eno

SYNOPSIS
Among the childhood memories of Nagiko, a young Japanese model living in Hong Kong, are the birthday wishes her calligrapher father delicately painted onto her face. A ritual repeated every year, it is eventually cut short by an arranged marriage. Driven by the pursuit of pleasure, Nagiko persuades her many lovers to write on her body, judging them more by their calligraphic mastery than their romantic skills. When Nagiko meets Jerome, an Englishman, she is inspired to turn the tables—writing herself and using others as her paper. Her desire to get her works published ultimately leads to the tragic death of her English lover and an obsessive spiral of revenge.