Naomi Kawase facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Naomi Kawase
河瀨直美
Kawase in 2017
Born	(1969-05-30) May 30, 1969 (age 56) Nara, Japan
Other names	Naomi Sento
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Takenori Sento ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2000)​

Naomi Kawase (Japanese: 河瀨直美, romanized: Kawase Naomi; born May 30, 1969) is a famous film director from Japan. She makes movies and documentaries. Some of her early films were about her own life. For example, Embracing was about finding her father. Katatsumori was about her grandmother who raised her.

Early Life and Learning

Naomi Kawase grew up in a countryside area called Nara. Her parents separated when she was young. Her great-aunt raised her. They had a close relationship, even though they sometimes argued.

She first went to the Osaka School of Photography. She wanted to learn about making TV shows. But she soon became very interested in making films instead. She studied with a teacher named Shunji Dodo. Naomi Kawase finished her studies in 1989.

Making Films: Naomi Kawase's Career

After finishing school, Naomi Kawase taught there for four years. Then she released her film Embracing. She likes to tell personal stories in her films. Many of her first short films were about her own family. They explored her childhood and her father's death. The beautiful countryside of Nara also inspired her early movies.

Films About Family

Between 1994 and 1996, she made three films about her great-aunt. These were Katatsumori, See Heaven, and Sun on the Horizon. She also wrote books based on her films Suzaku and Firefly.

In 2006, she made a documentary called Tarachime. This film was about her great-aunt again. It showed how her aunt was dealing with dementia, which affects memory.

Winning Awards

Naomi Kawase's fourth full-length film was The Mourning Forest. It was shown in June 2007 in her hometown of Nara. This film won a very important award called the Grand Prix. She received this award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. This is one of the biggest film festivals in the world.

Her film Hanezu was also shown at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Music Videos and Juries

In 2012, a famous pop singer named Hikaru Utada asked Kawase to direct a music video. It was for Utada's song "Sakura Nagashi".

In 2013, Naomi Kawase was chosen to be a judge. She was part of the main jury at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. This meant she helped decide which films won awards.

Her film Still the Water was chosen to compete for the Palme d'Or in 2014. This is the top award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2015, her film Sweet Bean was also shown at Cannes.

In April 2016, she became the head judge for short films at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Official Olympic Film

On October 23, 2018, it was announced that Kawase would direct the official film for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This film was released in 2022. It showed the Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explored how people in Japan felt about the games.

Filmmaking Style and Ideas

Naomi Kawase's films often mix real-life stories with fictional ones. She likes to show how things are in modern Japanese society. She often focuses on everyday people. She also challenges how women are shown in Japanese movies. This is important because the film industry there is mostly run by men.

Her films also touch on current issues. These include fewer babies being born, people feeling alone, and changes in traditional families.

She often films in real places. She also likes to use actors who are not professionals.

Kawase's style is very personal. She uses things like childhood photos to explore her family history. Her work feels very close and private. These ideas are often linked to how women filmmakers tell stories.

However, Naomi Kawase does not call herself a feminist. She believes that being a woman helps her see things differently. She feels that women are often more intuitive. She also thinks that not being in the "mainstream" helps her discover new things. She believes that deep personal stories can connect with everyone.

Kawase's films often challenge how movies are usually made. She often shows the relationships between the filmmaker and the people in her films. She also shares her own thoughts and feelings in her work.

Awards and Recognitions

Naomi Kawase won the Caméra d'Or award in 1997. This award is for the best new director. She won it at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival for her film Suzaku. She was the youngest person to win this award.

Here are some of her other awards:

• 1997: Camera D'Or, Cannes International Film Festival: Suzaku
• 1999: Special Mention Prize, Vision du Reel: The Weald
• 2000: FIPRESCI Prize: Hotaru
• 2000: CICAE Prize: Hotaru
• 2000: Best Achievement Award in Cinematography and Directing, Buenos Aires International Film Festival: Hotaru
• 2007: Special Prize, Yamagata International Film Festival: Tarachime
• 2007: Grand Prix, Cannes International Film Festival: The Mourning Forest
• 2015: Chevalier Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France (a French award for arts and literature)
• 2017: Ecumenical Jury Prize, Cannes International Film Festival: Radiance
• 2021: Mainichi Film Award for Best Director: True Mothers

Films by Naomi Kawase

Naomi Kawase has made films using different types of cameras and formats. These include 8mm, 16mm, 35mm film, and video.

See also

In Spanish: Naomi Kawase para niños