The Pornographers

The Pornographers (“エロ事師たち”より 人類学入門) is a 1966 satiric Japanese film directed by Shōhei Imamura. It is based on the novel Erogotoshitachi by Akiyuki Nosaka.

Plot
Subuyan Ogata is a pornographic filmmaker living in Osaka. His business is under threat from thieves, the government, and his own family.

Cast

 * Shōichi Ozawa as Subuyan Ogata
 * Sumiko Sakamoto as Haru Matsuda
 * Keiko Sagawa as Keiko Matsuda, Haru's daughter
 * Haruo Tanaka as Banteki
 * Nakamura Ganjirō II as Elderly executive from Hakucho Company
 * Masaomi Kondō as Kōichi Matsuda, Haru's son
 * Akira Nishimura as Detective Sanada
 * Ichirō Sugai as Shinun Ogata, Subuyan's father
 * Akiji Kobayashi
 * Shinichi Nakano as Kabō
 * Chōchō Miyako as Virgin House Madame
 * Kazuo Kitamura as Doctor

Production and reception
The film is a satirical black comedy, depicting the underbelly of the Japanese post-war economic miracle, in this case pornographers and small time gangsters in Osaka. It has been called Imamura's best-known film outside Japan.

Release
The Pornographers was released in Japan in March 1966 where it was distributed by Nikkatsu. It was released in the United States by Toho International with English subtitles in August 1966.