The meaning of genpin, according to Lao Tzu, is “mysterious woman.” Renowned Japanese director Naomi Kawase documents the experiences of women staying at Dr. Tadashi’s clinic – a special house in a dense forest that prepares women for ‘natural’ childbirth. The film follows the life of women from various social backgrounds in their last months of pregnancy. Resolved of any tension that lies between conventional medicine and ‘natural’ methods, the women learn to accept themselves as natural beings through support from one another and from their strict doctor. Kawase shows how the process of repossessing childbirth can be highly satisfying. The result is a lucid and moving documentary that captures the splendour of labour with intelligence, emotion and delicacy.