Naoko Ogigami facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Naoko Ogigami
荻上 直子
Naoko Ogigami at the 15th Annual Tama Cinema Forum in 2005.
Born	(1972-02-15) February 15, 1972 (age 53) Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Occupation	Director, screenwriter, cinematographer
Years active	1999–present

Naoko Ogigami (荻上 直子, Ogigami Naoko, born 1972 in Chiba Prefecture) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. She is known for making movies that are often calm and peaceful. Her films usually explore themes like what it means to belong to a country. Some of her most famous movies include Kamome Shokudo (also known as Seagull Diner) and Megane (meaning Glasses). In 2008, her film Megane won a special award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Early Life and Learning

Naoko Ogigami first went to Chiba University in Japan. She studied Image Science because she was interested in photography. But soon, she became fascinated with moving pictures and decided to study film instead.

After finishing university in 1994, she moved to the United States. She spent six years at the University of Southern California, where she learned English and earned a degree in film production. When she returned to Japan in 2000, she started writing and directing her own films.

Her Film Career

While living in the United States, Naoko Ogigami worked on several short films, TV shows, and commercials. She was a camera operator and helped with production. She also wrote and directed two short films: Ayako (1999) and Hoshino-kun, Yumino-kun (2001). Her film Yumino-kun won three awards at the PIA Film Festival.

Her first full-length movie was Yoshino's Barber Shop, released in 2004. It won awards at both the PIA Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. The next year, she released Love is Five, Seven, Five!.

In 2006, her third film, Kamome Diner, was released in Japan. This movie became very popular and was shown at many film festivals. It was even named the 5th Best Film at the Yokohama Film Festival in 2007.

Award-Winning Films

Her fourth film, Glasses, came out in 2007. It was shown at big festivals like the Berlin International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and San Francisco International Film Festival. At the Berlin Film Festival, Glasses won the Manfred Salzgeber Award for "broadening the boundaries of cinema today."

In 2008, Naoko Ogigami also helped start a company called Suurkiitos. This name means "thank you very much" in Finnish. The company helps with advertising, managing actors, and distributing movies.

After a short break, her next film, Toilet, was released in 2010. It was shown in Japan, South Korea, and at festivals in Canada, the United States, and Taiwan. In 2012, her film Rent-a-Cat premiered at the Stockholm International Film Festival.

In 2017, Ogigami released Close-Knit. This film was very successful around the world. It was shown at the 67th Annual Berlin International Film Festival and won the Panorama Audience Award. It also received the Teddy Award, which is given to films about LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) topics. Close-Knit was the first Japanese film to win this award.

Her Unique Style

Naoko Ogigami's films often share similar themes. A common idea is about a "culture clash," where someone from one place goes to a new place and faces unfamiliar customs. This theme comes from her own experiences of living in both the United States and Japan. Her movies often show Japanese characters dealing with new settings, like in Kamome Diner, Megane, and Toilet.

Her films are known as "iyashi-kei eiga," which means "films that provide emotional healing." Her style is often described as simple, funny, and calm. Unlike many Japanese movies, her films are lighter. She explores big ideas like national identity in a peaceful way, using carefully planned shots.

Her way of telling "slice of life" stories, focusing on characters and settings, has been compared to famous Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. Her camerawork often creates a feeling of flat space with bright lighting and clear colors. She also pays close attention to food in her movies. She once said that eating together is a happy moment, but it doesn't last forever.

Filmography

Film

• Ayako (short) (1999)
• Hoshino-kun, Yumino-kun (short) (2001)
• Yoshino's Barber Shop (2004)
• Love Is Five, Seven, Five! (2005)
• Seagull Diner/Kamome Diner (2006)
• Glasses (2007)
• Toilet (2010)
• Rent-a-Cat (2012)
• Close-Knit (2017)
• Riverside Mukolitta (2022)
• Ripples (2023)
• Maru (2024)

Television

• Saboten Journey (2004)
• Yappari Neko Ga Suki (2005)
• 2Cool (2008)
• Roudokuya (2017)
• Rilakkuma and Kaoru (2019)
• Coffee Ikaga Deshou (2021)
• Modern Love Tokyo (2022, episode 4)

Books

• Kawapperi Mukoritta (2019)

Awards and Nominations