“Woman in the Dunes” (砂の女), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1964, B2 Size (c. 51 × 73 cm) ZA394

A rare original Japanese B2 poster for Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Woman in the Dunes, released in 1964. This striking design combines intimate photographic imagery with a restrained brown, cream and black palette, capturing the unsettling atmosphere of one of Japanese cinema’s most distinctive films.

In Very Good+ condition for its age, with edge wear most noticeable along the lower-right side. The central artwork retains strong detail and contrast, and once framed, this poster will display excellently.

Film background

Adapted by Kōbō Abe from his own novel, Woman in the Dunes follows an amateur entomologist whose collecting trip leads him to a remote coastal village. Offered accommodation with a widow living at the bottom of a sand pit, he discovers the following morning that the ladder has disappeared. What begins as an unexpected overnight stay becomes a disturbing struggle with confinement, desire and the relentless labour of keeping the sand at bay. Eiji Okada and Kyōko Kishida anchor the film’s intense relationship.

Teshigahara turns this enclosed setting into an exploration of freedom, dependence and survival. The film received the Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1964 and Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director, establishing its place among the defining works of Japanese cinema of the period.

Poster design

A large, grainy monochrome photograph dominates the composition: a reclining woman’s face, flowing hair and outstretched arm merge with the texture of the surrounding sand. The close framing gives the image a physical immediacy that echoes the film’s claustrophobic setting.

Below, a warm sepia panel shows small silhouetted figures crossing the dunes. The Japanese title appears in bold white brush lettering, accompanied by the romanised suna no onna, orange credits and the Toho emblem. A dark brown border decorated with musical notation surrounds the composition.

The opening lines of the Japanese promotional text read:

「突然 ある日 仁木順平は失踪した」
“Suddenly, one day, Junpei Niki disappeared.”

Condition

Very Good+ overall for its age. There is wear to the borders, particularly along the lower-right edge, where fraying, small tears and small paper losses are visible. Some handling creases are also present, while the reverse shows age toning and scattered spotting. The principal image remains visually strong. Please review the photographs, including the close-up of the affected edge, for the full condition.

An original vintage Japanese release poster, not a reproduction or a reprint.

Over 60 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.