Hirokazu Koreeda

Biography

Hirokazu Koreeda, born in Tokyo in 1962, is a prominent Japanese filmmaker known for his exploration of memory, loss, and the boundaries between documentary and fiction. Initially aspiring to be a novelist, he graduated from Waseda University in 1987 and began his career as an assistant director at T.V. Man Union. Koreeda made his directorial debut with the feature film Maborosi in 1995, which was inspired by a Teru Miyamoto novel and his experiences during the production of August Without Him in 1994. Maborosi received critical acclaim, winning jury prizes at the Venice and Chicago Film Festivals. Throughout his career, Koreeda has continued to delve into complex human emotions and relationships, solidifying his reputation as one of contemporary cinema's most insightful storytellers.