Wet Woman in the Wind

“Don't think that you can escape me! You can't!” Renowned writer Kosuke has fled the big city and moved to a small cabin in rural Japan, hoping to escape his own troubled past and find some peace of mind. One afternoon he runs into the energetic and outgoing Shiori, who works at a nearby café. Shiori is an extremely sexual person, and soon after their first encounter, Kosuke falls victim to her insatiable sexual appetite. As their relationship gradually grows more intense and conflicted, Wet Woman in the Wind turns into a hysterical screwball comedy with plenty of sex.

Wet Woman in the Wind is penned and directed by Akihiko Shiota, who is often described as a veteran of Japanese independent cinema. Like Sion Sono's Antiporno, Wet Woman in the Wind is a contribution to the reboot of the Roman Porno film series, released by the famous film studio Nikkatsu. But unlike Sono's critical and more bizarre project, Shiotas film is more restrained and traditional. Critics have compared it with his earlier films, as well as with the original Roman Porno features and Howard Hawks' screwball classic Bringing Up Baby.

The film premiered in the prestigious main competition slate at the Locarno film festival, and has toured a number of festivals in Europa and in Asia. Truls Foss

Akihiko Shiota (b. 1961) started making films as a student at the Rikkyo University in Tokyo, before becoming an apprentice with director and screenwriter Atsushi Yamatoya. As late as 1999, he made his first feature film Moonlight Whispers, which premiered at the Locarno film festival.