Junji Sakamoto | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Junji Sakamoto at the 2018Tokyo International Film Festival | |
| Born | (1958-01-01)January 1, 1958 (age 67) Sakai, Osaka, Japan |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1989–present |
Junji Sakamoto (阪本 順治,Sakamoto Junji; born October 1, 1958 inSakai, Osaka) is a Japanese film director.
After working as a set assistant or assistant director under such filmmakers asSogo Ishii andKazuyuki Izutsu, he made his directorial debut in 1989 withDotsuitarunen (earning theDirectors Guild of Japan New Directors Award[1]) and followed it up with another boxing film,Tekken, in 1990. Sakamoto became known for action films focusing on the conflicts between male characters, such asTokarefu andNew Battles Without Honor and Humanity, but has also made films centered on female characters such asFace andAwakening. He won the award for Best Director at the 24thJapan Academy Prize and at the 22ndYokohama Film Festival forFace.[2][3] He won the Special Jury prize forMy House at theLas Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival in 2003.[4]
Chameleon, an action film starringTatsuya Fujiwara andAsami Mizukawa, screened at theBusan International Film Festival in 2008.[5]Children of the Dark, a thriller film shot in Thailand, was denied to screen at theBangkok International Film Festival in 2008.[6][7]Zatoichi: The Last, a jidaigeki film starringShingo Katori, andStrangers in the City, a thriller film starringToru Nakamura andManami Konishi, were both released in 2010.[8][9]Someday, an ensemble comedy film starringYoshio Harada, won the Best Picture prize at theYokohama Film Festival in 2011.[10] He also directedA Chorus of Angels, a 2012 film starringSayuri Yoshinaga, to commemorate the 60th anniversary ofToei Company.[11] His 2013 film,Human Trust, starredKōichi Satō,Yoo Ji-tae, andVincent Gallo.[12]
A number of Sakamoto's works, such asŌte andBiriken, are set inOsaka, particularly theShinsekai sector. His films have also taken up such controversial topics as postwar Japanese history and the problem of national sovereignty (Out of This World orAegis), or the trafficking of children in Asia (Children of the Dark).[13]
