is a Japanese filmmaker. Most known for his drama films Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008) and Like Father, Like Son (2013), for the latter he won the Jury Prize at the 66th Cannes Film Festival.
His drama film Shoplifters (2018) won the Palme d'Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film representing Japan. He has since directed Broker (2022) and Monster (2023), to critical acclaim.
Early life and education
Koreeda's father was born in Taiwan. Koreeda's paternal grandparents could not marry under Japanese law at the time as they had the same last name, so they had eloped to Taiwan, then under Japanese colonial rule, where they could marry. Koreeda has cited this as a reason for his affinity toward Taiwan.
Koreeda's father was conscripted into the Japanese military during World War II and detained in Siberia for three years after the end of the war.
Hirokazu Koreeda was born on 6 June 1962 in Nerima, Tokyo. He is the youngest of three children. From an early age, Koreeda watched movies with his mother. He said through an interpreter, "My mother loved films! She adored Ingrid Bergman, Joan Fontaine, Vivien Leigh! We couldn't afford to go together to the cinema, but she was always watching their movies on TV. She stopped all family business or discussions to watch these movies. We would watch together. So I adored film—like her."
He initially failed his entrance exams, but was accepted into Waseda University a year later.
Career
Before becoming a director, Koreeda worked as an assistant director on television documentaries. He directed his first television documentary, Lessons from a Calf, in 1991. He directed several other documentary films thereafter.
Koreeda's 1994 documentary August without Him depicts his friendship with Hirata Yutaka, who had HIV/AIDS. Filmed between 1992 and 1994, it depicts Yutaka activism as the first Japanese person to publicly admit having contracted the disease as a homosexual. The film ends with his condition having deteriorated. Yutaka died of AIDS complications on 29 May 1994.
At the 52nd Venice International Film Festival, Koreeda's first fiction feature film, Maborosi (1995). It won the Golden Osella for Best Cinematography. At the first Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema in 1999, he won awards for Best Film and Best Screenplay for his film After Life.
In 2005, Koreeda won the Blue Ribbon Awards for Best Film and Best Director for his film Nobody Knows. His 2008 film Still Walking also earned accolades, including Best Director at the 2009 Asian Film Awards and the Golden Ástor for Best Film at the 2008 Mar del Plata International Film Festival.
Koreeda's 2013 film Like Father, Like Son premiered and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. It did not win, but it won the Jury Prize and a commendation from the Ecumenical Jury. In October 2013, the film won the Rogers People's Choice Award at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival.
Koreeda's 2015 film Our Little Sister was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. His 2016 film After the Storm debuted to critical acclaim at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category. For his work on it, Koreeda won Best Director at the Yokohama Film Festival.
In 2018, his film Shoplifters, about a young girl welcomed in by a family of shoplifters, premiered and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 2018, he won the Donostia Award for his life-time achievement at San Sebastián International Film Festival.
In 2019, Koreeda directed The Truth, starring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke. It is his first film shot in Europe and not in Japanese.
In 2021, Koreeda directed Broker. The film was shot in South Korea, featuring a predominantly South Korean cast and crew. It was first released on 8 June 2022. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022 and won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.
In January 2022, it was announced that Koreeda would be working with a team of directors including Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama, and Takuma Sato on a nine-episode series, The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, adapted from the manga Kiyo in Kyoto.
In November 2022, Koreeda disclosed that he had completed shooting his next Japanese film, Monster. With post-production underway, Monster was scheduled for release in Japan on 2 June 2023. This release date positioned the film for a potential world premiere in May at Cannes. It won the Queer Palm and the Best Screenplay Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. In 2025, Netflix released Koreeda's T.V. series Asura. It is based on Kuniko Mukōda's novel of the same name.thumb|Koreeda in 2025|280x280px
In 2026, Koreeda first science fiction film Sheep in the Box had its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. His next film will be the live-action adaptation Look Back, based on the 2021 one-shot manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, it's expected to be released in late 2026.
Style and influences
According to the Harvard Film Archive, Koreeda's works "reflect the contemplative style and pacing of such luminaries as Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang". Koreeda is often compared to Yasujirō Ozu, but has said he feels more influenced by Ken Loach and Mikio Naruse.
Personal life
Koreeda was married in 2002 and has a daughter, born in 2007.
In a 2009 interview, Koreeda said that Still Walking is based on his own family.
Filmography
Feature films
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| English Title
! rowspan="2"| Original Title
! colspan="3"| Credited as
! rowspan="2"| Notes
|-
! style="width:65px;"| Director
! style="width:65px;"| Writer
! style="width:65px;"| Editor
|-
! 1995
| Maborosi
| 幻の光
|
|
|
|
|-
! 1998
| After Life
| ワンダフルライフ
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2001
| Distance
| DISTANCE ディスタンス
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2004
| Nobody Knows
| 誰も知らない
|
|
|
| Also producer
|-
! 2006
| Hana
| 花よりもなほ
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2008
| Still Walking
| 歩いても 歩いても
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2009
| Air Doll
| 空気人形
|
|
|
| Also producer
|-
! 2011
| I Wish
| 奇跡
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2013
| Like Father, Like Son
| そして父になる
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2015
| Our Little Sister
| 海街diary
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2016
| After the Storm
| 海よりもまだ深く
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2017
| The Third Murder
| 三度目の殺人
|
|
|
|
|-
! 2018
| Shoplifters
| 万引き家族
|
|
|
| Also producer
|-
! 2019
| The Truth
| La Vérité
|
|
|
| French-language debut
|-
! 2022
| Broker
| 브로커
|
|
|
| Korean-language debut
|-
! 2023
| Monster
| 怪物
|
|
|
| Also executive producer
|-
! rowspan="2"| 2026
| Sheep in the Box
| 箱の中の羊
|
|
|
|
|-
| Look Back
| ルックバック
|
|
|
|Post-production
|}
Producer
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Film
! Notes
|-
!1993
|Kakuto
|
|-
!2003
|Hebi ichigo
|
|-
!2006
|Yureru
| Planner
|-
!2014
|leji
| Consulting producer
|-
!2018
|Ten Years Japan
| rowspan="2" |Executive producer
|-
!2022
|Mai Sumoru Rando
|}
Documentaries
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Film
! Notes
|-
! rowspan="2" |1991
| Lessons from a Calf
|
|-
| However...
| Also producer
|-
! rowspan="2" |1992
| Where Has All the Pollution Gone?
|
|-
|I Wish I Could Be Japanese
|
|-
! rowspan="3" |1993
|When Cinema Reflects the Times: Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang
| Documentary about filmmakers Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang
|-
|Soul Sketches-Every Person's Kenji Miyazawa
| rowspan=2|Documentary short film
|-
|Yottsu no shibu jikoku
|-
! 1994
| August without Him
|Documentary about HIV patient Hirata Yutaka
|-
!1996
|This World
| A filmed correspondence between Kawase Naomi and Koreeda.<br/>Also writer and cinematographer
|-
!2003
|Birthplace
| Documentary about the old sets from his first feature Maborosi<br/>Also editor
|-
! rowspan="2" |2008
| Daijōbu Dearu Yō ni: Cocco Owaranai Tabi
| Documentary about Cocco
|-
|Series Constitution. Article 9. War Renunciation. Oblivion
|
|-
! 2012
| The Message from Fukushima
| Documentary short
|-
!2021
|The Center Lane
| Documentary short about swimmer Rikako Ikee
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Film
! colspan="3"| Credited as
! rowspan="2"| Notes
|-
! style="width:65px;"| Director
! style="width:65px;"| Writer
! style="width:65px;"| Editor
|-
!1991
|Nonfix
|
|
|
|TV Series
|-
!1996
|Without Memory
|
|
|
| TV Documentary Movie
|-
!2010
|Kaidan Horror Classics
|
|
|
|Anthology TV Series<br/>Directed episode "Nochi no hi"
|-
!2012
|Going My Home
|
|
|
|TV Miniseries
|-
!2015
|Ishibumi
|
|
|
|TV Documentary film
|
|
|
|TV Series<br/>Directed episodes "Tada ima no nochi ni" and "Ningen Doku"
|
|
|
|TV Miniseries<br/>Also executive producer
|
|
|
|TV Series
|}
Accolades
thumb|100px|Koreeda at the 2009 [[Toronto International Film Festival]]
- 1995: Vancouver International Film Festival – Dragons and Tigers Award (Maborosi)
- 1998: San Sebastian Film Festival – FIPRESCI Prize (After Life)
- 1998: Three Continents Festival – Golden Montgolfiere (After Life)
- 1999: Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema – Best Film and Best Screenplay (After Life)
- 2004: Flanders International Film Festival Ghent – Grand Prix (Nobody Knows)
- 2005: Blue Ribbon Awards – Best Film and Best Director (Nobody Knows)
- 2008: Mar del Plata International Film Festival – Best Film (Still Walking)
- 2009: Asian Film Awards – Best Director (Still Walking)
- 2009: Blue Ribbon Awards – Best Director (Still Walking)
- 2011: San Sebastian Film Festival – Best Screenplay (I Wish)
- 2012: Asia-Pacific Film Festival – Best Director (I Wish)
- 2013: Cannes Film Festival – Jury Prize (Like Father, Like Son)
- 2013: Asia-Pacific Film Festival – Best Film and Best Director (Like Father, Like Son)
- 2013: São Paulo International Film Festival – Audience Award Best Foreign Film (Like Father, Like Son)
- 2013: Vancouver International Film Festival – Audience Award International Films (Like Father, Like Son)
- 2013: Yokohama Film Festival – Best Screenplay (Like Father, Like Son)
- 2015: San Sebastian Film Festival – Audience Award Best Film (Our Little Sister)
- 2015: Yokohama Film Festival – Best Director (Our Little Sister)
- 2016: Japan Academy Prize – Best Film and Best Director (Our Little Sister)
- 2016: Films from the South – Best Film (After the Storm)
- 2018: Japan Academy Prize – Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing (The Third Murder)
- 2018: Cannes Film Festival – Palme d'Or (Shoplifters)
- 2018: Los Angeles Film Critics Association – Best Foreign Film (Shoplifters)
- 2018: San Sebastián International Film Festival – Donostia Award
- 2018: Asia Pacific Screen Awards – Best Film (Shoplifters)
- 2018: Denver Film Festival – Best Film (Shoplifters)
- 2018: Filmfest München – Best International Film (Shoplifters)
- 2018: Films from the South – Audience Award (Shoplifters)
- 2018: Vancouver International Film Festival – Most Popular International Feature (Shoplifters)
- 2019: Asian Film Awards – Best Film (Shoplifters)
- 2019: Japan Academy Prize – Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay (Shoplifters)
- 2019: César Award – Best Foreign Film (Shoplifters)
- 2019: Guldbagge Awards – Best Foreign Film (Shoplifters)
- 2023: Asian Film Awards – Best Director (Broker)
- 2023: Cannes Film Fesitval - Queer Palm (Monster)
- 2024: Asian Film Awards – Best Director (Monster)
Frequent collaborators
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;font-size:73%;vertical-align:bottom;"
|-
!rowspan=2 !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! ||
|-
!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!
|-
! Takashi Naitō || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Sayaka Yoshino || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Tadanobu Asano || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Akira Emoto || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Susumu Terajima || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Arata Iura || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Yusuke Iseya || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Natsuo Ishidō || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Kenichi Endō || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Yui Natsukawa || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Ryo Kase || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Sei Hiraizumi || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Hiei Kimura || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Yūichi Kimura || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! You || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Shirō Katō|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Yoshio Harada || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Shohei Tanaka || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Jun Kunimura || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Tetsushi Tanaka || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Rie Miyazawa || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Hiroshi Abe || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Kirin Kiki || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Ryōga Hayashi || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Kazuya Takahashi || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Joe Odagiri || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Bae Doona || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Kazuaki Shimizu || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Yuri Nakamura || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Oshiro Maeda || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Masami Nagasawa || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Isao Hashizume || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Aju Makita || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Lily Franky || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Ichirō Ogura || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Jun Fubuki || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Yōko Maki || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Masaharu Fukuyama || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Tomomitsu Adachi || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Machiko Ono || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Suzu Hirose || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Haruka Ayase || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Izumi Matsuoka || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Sosuke Ikematsu || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Daisuke Kuroda || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Hajime Inoue || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Kairi Jo || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Sakura Ando || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
! Keiko Matsuzaka || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
|}
References
Further reading
- Ellis, Jonathan. "After Life" (Review). Film Quarterly, Vol. 57, Issue no. 1, pp. 32–37. ISSN 0015-1386.
- "This is your life: Tony Rayns interviews After Life's director Koreeda Hirokazu". Sight & Sound. March 1999.
- Martonova, Andronika (2016). "Boys don't cry: the image of the children as a social problem in Hirokazu Koreeda's films". Central Asian Journal of Art Studies, pр. 55–64.