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born July 19, 1955 is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005–2023).
Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' inner turmoils and quests for meaning and connections, he is best known for his contributions to psychological horror and Japanese horror, notably his acclaimed 1997 film Cure, although he has also worked in a variety of other genres. While most of his work has been in Japanese, two of his films, Daguerrotype (2016) and Serpent's Path (2024; a remake of his own 1998 film of the same name), were in French language. The New York Times stated that Kurosawa "is to psychological fright what David Cronenberg is to body horror."
He studied at Rikkyo University in Tokyo under the guidance of prominent film critic Shigehiko Hasumi, where he began making 8mm films.
He is not related to filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.Donald Richie (2026). 477002682X, Kodansha International. 477002682X
In the early 1990s, Kurosawa won a scholarship to the Sundance Institute by submitting his original screen play Charisma. Then, he was able to study filmmaking in the United States, although he had been directing for nearly ten years professionally.
Kurosawa first achieved international acclaim with his 1997 crime thriller film Cure. A year later, he completed two thrillers back-to-back, Serpent's Path and Eyes of the Spider, both of which shared the same premise (a father taking revenge for his child's murder) and lead actor (Show Aikawa) but spun entirely different stories. In March 1999, the Hong Kong International Film Festival presented his first retrospective, a five-title-program including The Excitement of the Do-re-mi fa Girls, The Guard from Underground, Serpent's Path, Eyes of the Spider, and License to Live.
Kurosawa followed up Cure with a semi-sequel in 1999 with Charisma, a detective film starring Kōji Yakusho. In 2000, Seance, Kurosawa's adaptation of the novel Seance on a Wet Afternoon by Mark McShane, premiered on Kansai TV. It also starred Yakusho, as well as Jun Fubuki (the two had appeared together in Charisma as well). In 2001, he directed the horror film Pulse. Kurosawa released Bright Future, starring Tadanobu Asano, Joe Odagiri and Tatsuya Fuji, in 2003. He followed this with another digital feature, Doppelganger, later the same year. Both Bright Future and Doppelganger have nominated for the Cannes Film Festivals
In 2005, Kurosawa returned with Loft, his first love story since Seance. Another horror film, Retribution, followed in the next year. With his 2008 film, Tokyo Sonata, Kurosawa was considered to step "out of his usual horror genre and into family drama."
He has written a novelization of his own film Pulse, as well as a history of horror cinema with Makoto Shinozaki.
In September 2012, it was announced that he would direct 1905, a film starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Shota Matsuda and Atsuko Maeda. In February 2013, it was announced that production of the film had been cancelled before filming could start.
Kurosawa directed a 2012 five-part television drama Penance. Beautiful 2013, an anthology film featuring Kurosawa's Beautiful New Bay Area Project, screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in 2013.
Kurosawa's next feature film Real, which stars Takeru Sato and Haruka Ayase, was released in 2013. He won the Best Director award at the 8th Rome Film Festival for Seventh Code later that year.
His 2015 film Journey to the Shore was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival where he won the prize for Best Director.
In 2016, his thriller Creepy premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. The film marked Kurosawa's first cinematic return to the horror genre since 2006.
His 2017 film Before We Vanish was screened in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival.
His 2019 film To the Ends of the Earth was screened as the closing film in the Piazza Grande program of the 72nd Locarno Film Festival.
In 2020, Kurosawa won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the 77th Venice International Film Festival for his film Wife of a Spy.
In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Kurosawa signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.
In a 2009 interview with IFC, Kurosawa talked about the reason why he has cast the actor Kōji Yakusho in many of his films: "He has similar values and sensitivities. We’re from the same generation. That’s a big reason why I enjoy working with him on the set."
According to Tim Palmer, Kurosawa's films occupy a peculiar position between the materials of mass genre, on the one hand, and esoteric or intellectual abstraction, on the other. They also clearly engage with issues of environmental critique, given Kurosawa's preference for shooting in decaying open spaces, abandoned (and often condemned) buildings, and in places rife with toxins, pestilence and entropy.
In an interview with the Tokyo Art University, where he is a professor, Kurosawa talks about not wanting his directorial style to be too fixed. The interviewer makes reference to Kurosawa's versatility when they talk about Clint Eastwood; Kurosawa says he admires people who can do many things and that he doesn't box himself into one style or one theme. When asked what he wants to try next, he answered: "The next thing I want to do is something I have never done." Kurosawa also mentions that he has seen many films since he was young, and that he knows there are many great films from around the world. Those films motivate him to be a better filmmaker; he always asks himself how to make films that will be memorable for a long time.
In the same article by the Tokyo Art University, Kurosawa names film critic Hasumi Shigehiko as a mentor and early influence in his filmmaking career. Much of Hasumi's influence would go on to shape the core of Kurosawa's filmography. Kurosawa met Hasumi in University, where he was one of the few students to finish his course, and credits Hasumi with teaching him that film is worth dedicating your entire life to. Hasumi and Kurosawa believe that every element of the film matters and should be meticulously planned. Kurosawa has also stated that one of his goals as a filmmaker is to share Hasumi's teachings.
| Dangerous Bedtime Stories | 危ない話 夢幻物語 | Segment: "They Came Tonight As Well" |
| Eyes of the Spider | 蜘蛛の瞳 | |
| License to Live | ニンゲン合格 | |
| Barren Illusion | ||
| Doppelganger | ドッペルゲンガー | |
| Loft | ||
| Seventh Code | ||
| 1905 | 一九〇五 | Cancelled |
| Daguerrotype | Le Secret de la chambre noire | French language debut |
| Foreboding | 予兆 散歩する侵略者 | |
| Serpent's Path | La Voie du serpent | |
| Cloud | クラウド | |
| + !Title !Year Published !Publisher ! | |||
| 映像のカリスマ 黒沢清映画史 (Film History of Kiyoshi Kurosawa) | 1992 | Film Art Inc. | |
| 映画はおそろしい (Eiga wa Osoroshi) | 2001 | Seidosha | |
| 黒沢清の映画術 (technique of Kiyoshi Kurosawa) | 2006 | Shinchosha | |
| 映画のこわい話 黒沢清対談集 (Eiga no kowai hanashi, scary story of film) | 2007 | Seidosha | |
| 恐怖の対談 映画のもっとこわい話 (Eigano Motto Kowai Hanashi, More scary story of film) | 2008 | Seidosha | |
| 黒沢清、21世紀の映画を語る
(Kurosawa Kiyoshi talking about 21st century movie) | 2010 | Boid | |
Co-written | |||
| ロスト イン アメリカ Lost in America | 2000 | Digital Hollywood | |
| 黒沢清の恐怖の映画史 (Kurosawa Kiyoshi no Kyofuno Eigashi - Scary film history of Kurosawa Kiyoshi) | 2003 | Seidosha | |
| 映画の授業 映画美学校の教室から (Eiga no Jyugyou, Eiga Bigakkou no Kyoushitsu Kara - Film Class, from class room of School of Cinema ) | 2004 | Seidosha | |
| 東京から 現代アメリカ映画談 イーストウッド、スピルバーグ、タランティーノ (Modern American film discussion with Eastwood, Spielberg, and Tarantino from Tokyo) | 2010 | Seidosha | |
| 日本映画は生きている (Nihon Eiga wa Ikiteiru - Japanese Film is Livning) | 2010 | Iwanami Shoten | |
| 映画長話 (Eiga Nagabanashi - Long Story about Film) | 2011 | Little More | |
Films adapted into novels | |||
| キュア（Cure） | 1997 | Tokuma Bunko | |
| 回路 (Pulse) | 2001 | Tokuma Bunko |
| + !Award !Year !Category !Film !Result ! | |||||
| 54th Cannes Film Festival | 2001 | Prize of Un Certain Regard | Pulse | Nominated | |
| 56th Cannes Film Festivals | 2003 | Competition | Bright Future | Nominated | |
| 61st Cannes Film Festivals | 2008 | Prize of Un Certain Regard | Tokyo Sonata | Won Prix du Jury | |
| 68th Cannes Film Festivals | 2015 | Prize of Un Certain Regard | Journey to the Shore | Won Best Director | |
| 70th Cannes Film Festivals | 2017 | Prize of Un Certain Regard | Before We Vanish | Nominated | |
| 41st Japan Academy Film Prize | 2018 | Best Director | Before We Vanish | Nominated | |
| 77th Venice International Film Festival | 2020 | Best Director Silver Lion | Wife of a Spy | ||
| 29th Busan International Film Festival | 2024 | Best Director Silver Lion | The Asian Filmmaker of the Year | ||
| Medal with Purple Ribbon | 2021 |
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