Hirokazu Kore-eda (是枝 裕和, Koreeda Hirokazu, born 6 June 1962) is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008), and After the Storm (2016). He won the Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for Like Father, Like Son, and won the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters.

Hirokazu Kore-eda
是枝 裕和
Born (1962-06-06) 6 June 1962 (age 62)
Alma materWaseda University
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor
Years active1991–present
Children1
Japanese name
Hiraganaこれえだ ひろかず
Transcriptions
RomanizationKoreeda Hirokazu
Websitewww.kore-eda.com

Early life and education

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Kore-eda's father was born in Taiwan before being conscripted into the Japanese military during World War II and detained in Siberia for three years after the end of the war.[1] His paternal grandparents could not marry under Japanese law at the time as they had the same last name, so they eloped to Taiwan where they could, which was then under Japanese colonial rule.[2] He has cited this as a reason for his affinity toward Taiwan.[3]

Hirokazu Kore-eda was born on 6 June 1962[4] in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. He is the youngest of three children, with two older sisters.[5] From a young age, Kore-eda would spend time watching movies with his mother. He said through an interpreter, "My mother loved films! She adored Ingrid Bergman, Joan Fontaine, Vivien Leigh. We couldn't afford to go together to the cinema, but she was always watching their movies on TV. She stopped all family business or discussions to watch these movies. We would watch together. So I adored film – like her."[6]

After seeing Japan win the gold medal in men's volleyball at the 1972 Munich Olympics, he started playing in middle school. He rose to team captain in high school as a setter.[7]

He initially failed his entrance exams, but was accepted into Waseda University a year later.[7] He graduated from Waseda University's Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 1987.[citation needed]

Career

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Before embarking on a career as a film director, Kore-eda worked as an assistant director on documentaries for television. He eventually transitioned into directing, and directed his first television documentary, Lessons from a Calf, in 1991. He directed several other documentary films thereafter.[8]

One of his Documentaries, released in 1994, followed his friendship with AIDS sufferer Hirata Yutaka. The documentary, titled “August without him”, followed Kore-eda as he met with Yutaka and filmed his life between 1992 and 1994. During this period, he speaks openly on his condition, as well as being the first Japanese to admit he contracted the disease via homosexual contact. The film ends with Yutaka's condition having deteriorated, and he died of AIDS Complications on May 29, 1994.[9][10][11]

In 1995, at the Venice Film Festival, his first fiction feature film Maborosi won a Golden Osella Award for Best Cinematography.[12] At the first Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema in 1999,[13] he won awards for Best Film and Best Screenplay for his film After Life.[14]

In 2005, he won the Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Film and Best Director for his film Nobody Knows.[15] His 2008 film, Still Walking, also earned accolades, including Best Director at the 2009 Asian Film Awards,[16] and the Golden Ástor for Best Film at the 2008 Mar del Plata International Film Festival.[17]

His 2013 film, Like Father, Like Son, premiered and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[18] It eventually did not win, but it won the Jury Prize,[19] as well as a commendation from the Ecumenical Jury.[20] In October 2013, the film won the Rogers People's Choice Award at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival.[21]

Kore-eda's 2015 film, Our Little Sister, was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, though it did not win.[22] His 2016 film, After the Storm, debuted to critical acclaim at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category.[23] For his work on the film, he won the award for Best Director at the Yokohama Film Festival.[24] Kore-eda won Best Film and Best Director Japan Academy Prizes for his film The Third Murder (2017), which also screened in the main competition of the 74th Venice International Film Festival.[25]

In 2018, his film, titled Shoplifters, about a young girl who is welcomed in by a family of shoplifters, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or.[26] It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[27]

In 2018, he won the Donostia Award for his lifetime achievement at San Sebastián International Film Festival.[28]

In 2019, Kore-eda directed The Truth, starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke. It is his first film shot in Europe and not in his native language.[29]

In 2021, Kore-eda directed Broker. The film was shot in South Korea, featuring a predominantly South Korean cast and crew.[30] It was first released on 8 June 2022.[31] The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.

In January 2022, it was announced that Kore-eda would be working with a team of directors including Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama, and Takuma Sato on a nine-episode series called The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, adapted from the manga Kiyo in Kyoto.[32]

In November 2022, Kore-eda disclosed that he had already completed shooting his next Japanese film, titled Monster.[33] With post-production underway, Monster was scheduled for release in Japan on 2 June 2023.[34] This release date positioned the film for a potential world premiere in May at the Cannes Film Festival, a customary platform for Kore-eda.[35] The film won the Queer Palm and the Best Screenplay Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[36][37]

Style and influences

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According to the Harvard Film Archive, Kore-eda's works "reflect the contemplative style and pacing of such luminaries as Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang".[38]

Kore-eda is often compared to Yasujirō Ozu; however, he has stated he feels more influenced by British director Ken Loach and Japanese director Mikio Naruse.[6]

In a 2009 interview, Kore-eda revealed that Still Walking is based on his own family.[39]

Personal life

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Kore-eda was married in 2002 and has one daughter, born in 2007.[5]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Film Credited as Notes
Director Writer Editor
1995 Maborosi Yes No No
1998 After Life Yes Yes Yes
2001 Distance Yes Yes Yes
2004 Nobody Knows Yes Yes Yes Also producer
2006 Hana Yes Yes Yes
2008 Still Walking Yes Yes Yes
2009 Air Doll Yes Yes Yes Also producer
2011 I Wish Yes Yes Yes
2013 Like Father, Like Son Yes Yes Yes
2015 Our Little Sister Yes Yes Yes
2016 After the Storm Yes Yes Yes
2017 The Third Murder Yes Yes Yes
2018 Shoplifters Yes Yes Yes Also Producer
2019 The Truth Yes Yes Yes French film
2022 Broker Yes Yes Yes South Korean film
2023 Monster Yes No Yes Also executive producer

Producer

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Year Film Notes
1993 Kakuto
2003 Heibi Chingo
2006 Yureru Planner
2014 leji Consulting producer
2020 Jû Jen: Ten Years Japan Executive producer
2022 Mai Sumoru Rando

Documentaries

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Year Film Notes
1991 Lessons from a Calf
However... Also producer
1992 Where Has All the Pollution Gone?
I Wish I Could Be Japanese
1993 When Cinema Reflects the Times: Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang Documentary about filmmakers Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang
Soul Sketches-Every Person's Kenji Miyazawa Documentary short film
Yottsu no shibu jikoku
1994 August without Him
1996 This World A filmed correspondence between Kawase Naomi and Koreeda.
Also writer and cinematographer
2003 Birthplace Documentary about the old sets from his first feature Maborosi
Also editor
2008 Daijōbu Dearu Yō ni: Cocco Owaranai Tabi Documentary about Cocco
Series Constitution. Article 9. War Renunciation. Oblivion
2012 The Message from Fukushima Documentary short
2021 The Center Line Documentary short about swimmer Rikako Ikee

Television

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Year Film Credited as Notes
Director Writer Editor
1991 Nonfix Yes No No TV Series
1996 Without Memory Yes Yes Yes TV Documentary Movie
2010 Kaidan Horror Classics Yes Yes No Anthology TV Series
Directed episode "Nochi no hi"
2012 Going My Home [40] Yes Yes Yes TV Miniseries
2015 Ishibumi [41] Yes No No TV Documentary film [41]
2020 A Day-Off of Kasumi Arimura[42] Yes No No TV Series
Directed episodes "Tada ima no nochi ni" and "Ningen Doku"[42]
2023 The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House [43] Yes Yes Yes TV Miniseries
Also executive producer[43]
2025 Asura[44] Yes No Yes TV Series

Accolades

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Hirokazu Kore-eda at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Frequent collaborators

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Work
Actor
1995 1998 2001 2004 2006 2008 2009 2011 2013 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2022 2023
Maborosi
Takashi Naitō
Sayaka Yoshino
Tadanobu Asano
Akira Emoto
Susumu Terajima
Arata Iura
Yusuke Iseya
Natsuo Ishidō
Kenichi Endō
Yui Natsukawa
Ryo Kase
Sei Hiraizumi
Hiei Kimura
Yūichi Kimura
You
Shirō Katō
Yoshio Harada
Shohei Tanaka
Jun Kunimura
Tetsushi Tanaka
Kirin Kiki
Hiroshi Abe
Ryōga Hayashi
Kazuya Takahashi
Joe Odagiri
Bae Doona
Kazuaki Shimizu
Yuri Nakamura
Oshiro Maeda
Masami Nagasawa
Isao Hashizume
Lily Franky
Ichirō Ogura
Jun Fubuki
Yōko Maki
Masaharu Fukuyama
Tomomitsu Adachi
Suzu Hirose
Aju Makita
Izumi Matsuoka
Sosuke Ikematsu
Daisuke Kuroda
Hajime Inoue
Sakura Ando

References

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  1. ^ "是枝裕和氏 なぜ「後に残された人」の悲しみだけを撮るのか". News Post Seven. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  2. ^ 楊, 惠君; 謝, 璇. "專訪是枝裕和:我期待有一天,拍出屬於自己的《悲情城市》". The Reporter. Retrieved 8 February 2021. 祖父母因為同姓氏無法在日本結婚,當年從奄美大島「私奔」到高雄後生下他父親,身為「灣生」後代的是枝裕和,卻是在侯孝賢的電影裡取得與父親成長的連結,視台灣如另一個故鄉。
  3. ^ Frater, Patrick (3 November 2020). "Koreeda Hirokazu and Huang Xi Share a Hou Hsiao-hsien Moment". Variety. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  4. ^ "是枝裕和監督の妻(嫁)や娘は?新作・次回作も調査!学歴は早稲田?" (in Japanese). 11 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b "是枝裕和 監督". Location Japan (in Japanese). 22 May 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Hirokazu Kore-eda: 'They compare me to Ozu. But I'm more like Ken Loach'". TheGuardian.com. 21 May 2015.
  7. ^ a b "40年も続く卒業後の社会人生活 だからこそ、"好き"を"仕事"にしたい!!". DAIGAKU SHINBUN. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  8. ^ Gerow, Aaron. "Documentarists of Japan #12: Koreeda Hirokazu". Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  9. ^ Sesser, Stan (6 November 1994). "HIDDEN DEATH". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  10. ^ Paletz, Gabriel M.; Saito, Ayako (1 January 2003). "The halfway house of memory: an interview with Hirokazu Kore-eda". CineAction: 52–60.52-60&rft.date=2003-01-01&rft.aulast=Paletz&rft.aufirst=Gabriel M.&rft.au=Saito, Ayako&rft_id=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA99288843&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=08269866&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7Ee1350025&aty=open-web-entry&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Hirokazu Kore-eda" class="Z3988">
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  13. ^ "Buenos Aires International Film Festival". festagent.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  14. ^ "After Life (1998) awards & festivals on MUBI". mubi.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  15. ^ tokyoguy (3 February 2005). "Rie Takes Blue Ribbon". japan-zone.com. Japan Zone. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  16. ^ Coonan, Clifford (23 March 2009). "Japan shines at Asian Film Awards". Variety. Retrieved 5 February 2021. ... Hirokazu Kore-eda nabbed the director honor for "Still Walking."
  17. ^ "Still Walking (2008) awards & festivals on MUBI". mubi.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  18. ^ "2013 Official Selection". Festival de Cannes. 19 April 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  19. ^ "Cannes Film Festival: Awards 2013". Cannes. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  20. ^ "Cannes: 'Blue Is the Warmest Color' Wins Fipresci Prize". Variety. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  21. ^ Tomlin, Raymond (12 October 2013). "VIFF 2013: Award Winners Announced for 2013 Film Festival". www.vanramblings.com. Van Ramblings.
  22. ^ "2015 Official Selection". Festival de Cannes. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015.
  23. ^ Lee, Maggie (21 May 2016). "Cannes Film Review: 'After the Storm'". Variety. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  24. ^ a b 「海街diary」が5冠、「お盆の弟」が4冠 (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports News. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  25. ^ "Venice Competition Includes Films From George Clooney, Guillermo del Toro, Darren Aronofsky". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  26. ^ Debruge, Peter (19 May 2018). "Japanese Director Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Shoplifters' Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  27. ^ Dove, Steve (22 January 2019). "Foreign Language Film Oscar 2019 Nominees Include Roman, Cold War & More". oscar.go.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  28. ^ "66th San Sebastian Film Festival 2018 Awards". sansebastianfestival.com. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  29. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (16 July 2018). "Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke & Catherine Deneuve To Star In 'The Truth' Palme d'Or Winner Hirokazu Kore-eda". Deadline. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  30. ^ "Song Kang-ho to Follow 'Parasite' with Hirokazu Kore-eda's Korean Movie Debut — First Details". 26 August 2020.
  31. ^ Noh, Jean. "Japan's Gaga buys Hirokazu Kore-eda's 'Broker' ahead of Cannes debut (exclusive)". Screen. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  32. ^ Mateo, Alex (6 January 2022). "Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san Manga Gets Live-Action Drama on Netflix". Anime News Network. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  33. ^ Brzeski, Patrick (17 November 2022). "Hirokazu Kore-eda Reveals Next Film, 'Monster,' for 2023 Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  34. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (18 November 2022). "Hirokazu Kore-Eda's New Film 'Monster' Unveiled, As Gaga, Toho Set June 2023 Release". Deadline. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  35. ^ D'Alessandro, Nancy; Tartaglione, Anthony; D'Alessandro, Anthony (17 May 2023). "'Monster': Hirokazu Kore-Eda Drama Receives Six-Minute Standing Ovation At Cannes World Premiere". Deadline. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  36. ^ C., Manon (27 May 2023). "Cannes Festival 2023: Queer Palm awarded to Kore-Eda's Monster". www.sortiraparis.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  37. ^ Debruge, Peter (27 May 2023). "Cannes Awards: 'Anatomy of a Fall' Takes Palme d'Or, 'The Zone of Interest' and 'The Pot au Feu' Among Winners". Variety. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  38. ^ "The Films of Hirokazu Koreeda". Harvard Film Archive. 25 February 2005. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  39. ^ Interview with Hirokazu Kore-eda, MUBI.com; accessed 27 February 2018.
  40. ^ "「ゴーイング マイ ホーム」は是枝監督、人生の総括 両親の死が作品に与えた影響明かす". Cinema Today. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  41. ^ a b "広島出身・綾瀬はるか、戦後特番で遺族手記を朗読 是枝監督と再タッグ". Oricon. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  42. ^ a b "WOWOWドラマ「有村架純の撮休」に柳楽優弥、満島真之介、伊藤沙莉ら豪華キャスト集結". Eiga. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  43. ^ a b "「舞妓さんちのまかないさん」Netflixでドラマ化!監督は是枝裕和、森七菜&出口夏希のW主演". Natalie. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  44. ^ "宮沢りえ×尾野真千子×蒼井優×広瀬すずが四姉妹に、昭和を代表する家族劇の傑作『阿修羅のごとく』是枝裕和監督が再ドラマ化". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  45. ^ Shackleton, Liz (12 March 2023). "'Drive My Car' Wins Best Feature At Asian Film Awards; Tony Leung Takes Best Actor, Asian Contribution Award". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 March 2023.

Further reading

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