“Women from the Lake of Scented Souls” (香魂女 湖に生きる), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1993, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O550

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1993 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Women from the Lake of Scented Souls (香魂女), released on English‑language markets as Women from the Lake of Scented Souls and later on home video as Woman Sesame Oil Maker. The film is directed by Xie Fei and stars Siqin Gaowa. 

Film background
Set in a rural village in Hebei, the film follows Second Sister Xiang, a woman who was sold as a child bride and has endured a hard, loveless life. Through determination and shrewdness she builds a thriving sesame‑oil business and becomes the richest person in her area, yet her success rests on a deeply troubling decision: she uses her wealth to purchase a peasant bride for her intellectually disabled son. The story explores patriarchy, guilt and the cost of survival in a rapidly changing China. The film won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, sharing the prize with Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet. 

Poster design
The Japanese B2 design is beautifully restrained. The top half features a still of the two central women seated by a lakeside jetty, rendered in soft natural light that hints at the film’s intimate, observational tone. Below, a bold red field carries the large white title typography 「香魂女 湖に生きる」 and a mention of the film’s 1993 Berlin Golden Bear win, with a delicate pink orchid motif at the centre echoing the “scented souls” of the title. Distributor credits and cast/crew information run along the bottom border in fine Japanese text. Overall it’s an elegant, quietly powerful layout that perfectly suits the film’s humanistic drama.

This poster is in excellent condition (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).

It is over 30 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.