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Kaneto Shindō

Director

Kaneto Shindō

Born April 22, 1912 in Hiroshima, JapanDied May 29, 201247 films

Kaneto Shindo (新藤 兼人, Shindō Kaneto, April 22, 1912 – May 29, 2012) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film producer, and author. He was married to actress Nobuko Otowa (1925–1994), who appeared in several of his films. He directed 48 films and wrote scripts for 238. His best known films as a director include Children of Hiroshima, The Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and A Last Note. His scripts were filmed by such directors as Kon Ichikawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Fumio Kamei and Tadashi Imai. He won the 1996 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year for A Last Note.

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Shindo was born in Hiroshima Prefecture, and he made several films about Hiroshima and the atomic bomb. Like his early mentor Kenji Mizoguchi, many of his films feature strong female characters. He was a pioneer of independent film production in Japan, founding a company called Kindai Eiga Kyokai. He continued working as a scriptwriter, director and author until his death at the age of 100.

Shindo made a series of autobiographical films, beginning with the first film he directed, 1951's Story of a Beloved Wife, about his struggle to become a screenwriter, through 1986's Tree Without Leaves, about his childhood, born into a wealthy family which became destitute, 2000's By Player, about his film company, seen through the eyes of his friend Taiji Tonoyama, and his last film, Postcard, directed at the age of 98, loosely based on his military service.

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The best way into Kaneto Shindō's work
The Naked Island posterFirst watchThe Naked Island19608.0A family of four are the sole inhabitants of a small island, where they struggle each day to irrigate their crops.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Onibaba poster7.7Onibaba1964Kuroneko poster7.4Kuroneko1968

Filmography

47 films as director
  1. 2010PostcardDirector
  2. 2008Teacher and Three ChildrenDirector
  3. 2003OwlDirector
  4. 2000By PlayerDirector
  5. 1999Will to LiveDirector
  6. 1995A Last NoteDirector
  7. 1992The Strange Tale of OyukiDirector
  8. 1988Sakura-tai ChiruDirector
  9. 1986Tree Without LeavesDirector
  10. 1986Black BoardDirector
  11. 1984The HorizonDirector
  12. 1981Edo PornDirector
  13. 1979The StranglingDirector
  14. 1977Document 8.6Director
  15. 1977The Life of ChikuzanDirector
  16. 1975Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film DirectorDirector
  17. 1974My WayDirector
  18. 1973The HeartDirector
  19. 1972HymnDirector
  20. 1972KanawaDirector
  21. 1970Live Today, Die Tomorrow!Director
  22. 1970Strange AffinityDirector
  23. 1969Heat Wave IslandDirector
  24. 1968Strong Women, Weak MenDirector
  25. 1968KuronekoDirector
  26. 1967LibidoDirector
  27. 1966Lost SexDirector
  28. 1965ConquestDirector
  29. 1964OnibabaDirector
  30. 1963MotherDirector
  31. 1962HumanDirector
  32. 1961The LoversDirector
  33. 1960The Naked IslandDirector
  34. 1959The Bride from JapanDirector
  35. 1959Lucky Dragon No. 5Director
  36. 1958Sorrow Is Only for WomenDirector
  37. 1957Harbor RatsDirector
  38. 1956ActressDirector
  39. 1956Wandering ShoreDirector
  40. 1956Love is LostDirector
  41. 1955The WolvesDirector
  42. 1954DitchDirector
  43. 1953Life of a WomanDirector
  44. 1953MiniatureDirector
  45. 1952Children of HiroshimaDirector
  46. 1952AvalancheDirector
  47. 1951Story of a Beloved WifeDirector