Peter Greenaway: Eight and a Half Women

Eight and a Half Women is a laconic black comedy, an examination of the age-old phenomenon of the male sexual fantasy, its roots and its consequences

A quiet and rich Swiss businessman lives in Geneva with his wife and son, who is fascinated by earthquakes. When his much-loved wife dies, the son tries hard to help his father overcome his grief. To accommodate this, the two of them create their own domestic bordello. The film tells the story of the brothel, and its eight and a half women, that lasts three years before being broken up and finally destroyed in an earthquake.