Ryusuke Hamaguchi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Hamaguchi in 2018.
Born	(1978-12-16) 16 December 1978 (age 46) Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Alma mater	University of Tokyo Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (M.A.)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter
Years active	2001–present
Japanese name
Romanization	Hamaguchi Ryūsuke
Signature

Ryusuke Hamaguchi (濱口 竜介, Hamaguchi Ryūsuke, [hamaꜜɡɯtɕi ɾʲɯꜜːsɯ̥ke]; born 16 December 1978) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He was born in Kawasaki, Japan.

Hamaguchi studied at the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He first became known in Japan with his student film Passion (2008). Later, his films like Happy Hour (2015) and Asako I & II (2018) gained international attention.

In 2021, he released two popular films: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy and Drive My Car. For Drive My Car, he was nominated for two Academy Awards. These nominations were for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. He is only the third Japanese director to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar. In 2023, he released Evil Does Not Exist and Gift.

Becoming a Film Director

After finishing his studies at the University of Tokyo, Ryusuke Hamaguchi worked in the movie business for a few years. He then joined a special film program at Tokyo University of the Arts. There, he learned from and was inspired by the famous director Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

His final project film, Passion, was chosen for a film festival in Tokyo in 2008. This was an early sign of his talent.

Documentary Films

With another director named Kō Sakai, Hamaguchi made a series of three documentaries. These films were about people who survived the big 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. One of these films, Voices from the Waves, was shown at a documentary film festival. Another, Storytellers, won a special award.

Breakthrough Films

His film Happy Hour (2015) was developed from an acting workshop. This workshop was for people who were not professional actors. Many of the main actors in the film had taken part in this workshop. The four lead actresses in Happy Hour won a shared award for best actress. The film also received a special mention for its script at the Locarno Film Festival. Hamaguchi himself won awards for this film, including a best newcomer award.

His next film, Asako I & II (2018), was chosen to compete for the top prize, the Palme d'Or, at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. This is a very important film festival.

Award-Winning Success

In 2021, Hamaguchi won the Silver Bear award at the Berlinale for his film Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. This is another major international film festival.

That same year, his film Drive My Car won many top awards. It was named Best Picture by film critics in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. It also won "Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language" at the Golden Globes. Hamaguchi was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director for Drive My Car. This was a huge achievement, making him one of only three Japanese directors to get this nomination.

In 2023, his film Evil Does Not Exist won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. This is another very important award. In the same year, he released a film called Gift. This movie uses the same video footage as Evil Does Not Exist but tells a different story. It is shown with live music played during the film.

Filmmaking Style and Inspirations

Ryusuke Hamaguchi describes himself as a "cinephile". This means he deeply loves movies. He says he is "conventionally in love with Hollywood films." He has been inspired by the work of American director John Cassavetes.

In April 2024, he shared a list of his 50 favorite films. This list showed his wide taste in movies. It included films from many different time periods and styles. Some of the directors he admires include Robert Bresson, Clint Eastwood, Howard Hawks, Edward Yang, Kenji Mizoguchi, and Robert Zemeckis.

What Hamaguchi Says About Film

• "All films are a mix of fiction and documentary. I've made both kinds, and I believe there's no such thing as a movie that is purely one or the other."
• "When an actor performs in front of the camera, what the camera records is like a documentary about them. It captures something unique that happens only once."
• (About actors speaking different languages in Drive My Car) "When actors don't understand each other's words, their body language and voice tones become more important. This helps them show feelings better. It makes it easier for them to focus and react. I think this leads to a simpler and stronger performance."
• (About the ending of Drive My Car) "I once talked to a big fan of Drive My Car who said the movie would have been perfect without that ending. (Laughs) I think I ended it that way to make it a bit imperfect. If the movie ended with the play's applause, it would feel too complete. I wanted to do something a bit more surprising, to leave some questions."

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ryūsuke Hamaguchi para niños