This Is Noriko (1981)
Fictionalized account of 20-year-old Noriko Tsuji, a real-life victim of a severe birth defect which afflicted 8,000 Japanese, children whose mothers took the sedative thalidomide during pregnancy. Tsuji has stunted flipper-like arms amputated at the behest of a father who deserted her soon after her birth. Nonetheless, the resourceful Noriko uses her feet to accomplish most of the tasks others would do with their hands.
Released: Sep 12, 1981
Runtime: 117 minutes
Genre: Drama
Stars: Noriko Tsuji, Misako Watanabe, Fumie Kashiyama, Hajime Izu, Mizuho Suzuki, Mayuko Wakamori
Crew: Ken-Ichiro Morioka (Original Music Composer), Toshiaki Kurahashi (Art Direction), Zenzō Matsuyama (Screenplay), Teruji Shibata (Executive Producer), Matsuo Takahashi (Executive Producer), Koichi Hirose (Sound Recordist)