Personal Info
Birth date
1969-05-30 (56 Years)
Gender
Female
Known for
Directing
Place of birth
Nara, Japan
Also known as
河瀨直美
仙頭直美
Sentō Naomi
가와세 나오미
센토 나오미
Наоми Кавасэ
河瀬直美
かわせなおみ
Naomi Kawase
Biography
Naomi Kawase (河瀨直美 Kawase Naomi, born May 30, 1969) is a Japanese film director. She graduated from Visual Arts Osaka in 1989. Many of her works have been documentaries, including Embracing, about her search for the father who abandoned her as a child, and Katatsumori, about the grandmother who raised her. Aside from being a filmmaker, she is the founder and Executive Director for the Nara International Film Festival.
Filmography
Homemade
5.8
Overview:
Acclaimed filmmakers from around the world channel their creativity during COVID-19 isolation with this diverse, genre-spanning collection of short films.What Kento Nakajima Wants to Know About Movies Now
NYR
Overview:
A "movie" that is a mirror of the times. At the forefront of the movie, there are "important things" to know now ... Kento Nakajima learns about such "movie now" through interviews and on-site interviews.Love & Pop
7.7
Overview:
Tokyo schoolgirl Hiromi and her friends engage in a practice known as enjo kosai, or "compensated dating", where older men pay young girls for dates. Hiromi plunges deeper into this world to raise money for an expensive ring.Sweet Bean
7.427
Overview:
The master of a dorayaki pastry store hires a 76-year-old woman whose talents attract customers from all over. But she's hiding a troubling secret. Life's joys are found in the little details, and no matter what may be weighing you down, everyone loves a good pastry.Suzaku
7.2
Overview:
Depicts the life of a family in a remote Japanese timber village. Family head Tahara Kozo lives with his mother Sachiko, wife Yasuyo, nephew Eisuke and young daughter Michiru. Economic recession and failed development plans cause tragedy in the family.The Mourning Forest
6.8
Overview:
A young woman working at a retirement home takes an elderly man living there on an excursion into the countryside, but the two wind up stranded in the titular forest.True Mothers
7.4
Overview:
After suffering through a long and unsuccessful series of fertility treatments, Satoko and her husband Kiyokazu make the decision to adopt a child. Six years after adopting a boy they named Asato, Satoko has quit her job to concentrate fully on her husband and son. The family lives a peaceful existence until the arrival of a stranger.Hanezu
5.95
Overview:
Woodwork artist Takumi moves to the small village Asuka in Nara Prefecture. He remodels old homes and lives a peaceful existence with nature. Takumi then meets Kayoko, a woman who went to the same school as Takumi. Kayoko is fascinated with the color crimson. She dyes scarves with the color of hanezu. Kayoko lives with boyfriend Tetsuya, who works as an editor of a PR magazine. They live together. Soon, Kayoko falls in love with Takumi.Vision
4.887
Overview:
Centres on Jeanne, a journalist tracking a mysterious rare herb that appears only once every 997 years.Still the Water
6.9
Overview:
On the Japanese island of Amami, despite lacking parental guidance, Kaito and his girlfriend Kyoko try to find their place in the world. While Kaito suffers from the absence of his father, who moved to Tokyo after his birth, Kyoko must come to grips with her mother’s terminal illness.Radiance
6.486
Overview:
The story follows the social intercourse between a cameraman, Masaya, with a visual impairment, and Misako who disconnects from the world.Tracing Her Shadow
6.8
Overview:
An old Chinese woman visits Japan to find her missing daughter whom she adopted in post-WWII China. Her granddaughter and a retired Japanese policeman join her search.The Nikaidos' Fall
4.7
Overview:
After losing his son, Tatsuya is anguished by the danger of his ancient family line coming to an end. His mother Haru urges him to embark on a loveless second marriage, and meanwhile he secretly hopes that his daughter Yoshiko will marry a husband willing to adopt the Nikaido name and follow in his footsteps.It Stopped Raining
7.5
Overview:
A young bioarchaeologist Yukisuke is attracted to a girl Koyomi, who runs a small stand of taiyaki pastry that he often buys. Koyomi is hospitalized, however, by a car accident on a rainy day after they go out together, and wakes up with short term memory loss, where she cannot remember anything beyond the present day. Yukisuke tries to live close to her as before but the lack of collective memory starts to stagger him.A Midsummer's Fantasia
7.2
Overview:
Reality and fantasy melds as a Korean documentary film director attempts to capture life in the small town of Gojo, Japan.Visitors
5.2
Overview:
Hong Sang-Soo’s Lost in the Mountains (South Korea, 32min) the visitor is the supremely self-centred Mi-Sook, who drives to Jeonju on impulse to see her classmate Jin-Young – only to discover that her friend is having an affair with their married professor, who Mi-Sook once dated herself. The level of social embarrassment goes off the scale. In Naomi Kawase’s Koma (Japan, 34min), Kang Jun-Il travels to a village in rural Japan to honour his grandfather’s dying wish by returning a Buddhist scroll to its ancestral home. Amid ancient superstitions, a new relationship forms. And in Lav Diaz’ Butterflies Have No Memories (Philippines, 42min) ‘homecoming queen’ Carol returns to the economically depressed former mining town she came from – and becomes the target of an absurd kidnapping plot hatched by resentful locals. Serving as his own writer, cameraman and editor, Diaz casts the film entirely from members of his crew and delivers a well-seasoned mix of social realism and fantasy. —bfiShining Besides Funny Moon
NYR
Overview:
A sexy mystery movie where a dominatrix and a detective get to the bottom of a string of suicides.The Tale of Iya
6.9
Overview:
As a tunnel construction project threatens the natural order of one of Japan's last untouched regions, an old man and his granddaughter Haruna's humble lifestyle begins to influence the outlook of a man from Tokyo.Nanayo
7
Overview:
Saiko travels to Thailand but she jumps out of the cab after knowing the driver's intentions. However, her life changes after she meets Greg.Parallel World
NYR
Overview:
Toru revisits the astronomical observatory in his old school for the first time in 15 years. He finds a notebook in the room that remained unchanged and frozen in time. "Thanks for watching me." It was a message from Shinya, a member of the school dance club, who he had feelings for.Katatsumori
7.3
Overview:
Filmmaker Naomi Kawase captures the love, loss, and loneliness felt as she prepares to move out of her foster mother's home.Kaleidoscope
5
Overview:
A photographer and a filmmaker challenge each other to shoot—one to photograph the other to film—two young actresses, one from Tokyo, the other from the countryside. The photographer seeks naturalism in his compositions, and Kawase observes and comments on his work. The competition between the photographer, the filmmaker, and the actresses creates a charged atmosphere.Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women
6.5
Overview:
Using rare footage and exclusive interviews with filmmakers from all over the globe, "Reel Herstory" corrects the historic notion that women behind the scenes in motion pictures held peripheral careers compared with their male counterparts.Shara
6.446
Overview:
The Aso family live in the old town of Nara. One Day, Kei, one of the Aso's twin boys suddenly disappears. Five years later seventeen-year old Shun, the remaining twin, is an art student. He now has to move forward with his life, together with his childhood friend, Yu.60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
3.8
Overview:
An anthology of one-minute films created by 51 international filmmakers on the theme of the death of cinema. Intended as an ode to 35mm, the film was screened one time only on a purpose-built 20x12 meter public cinema screen in the Port of Tallinn, Estonia, on 22 December 2011. A special projector was constructed for the event which allowed the actual filmstrip to be burnt at the same time as the film was shown.Beyond the Fog
8
Overview:
A quiet hamlet hidden in the remote mountains village of Japan. In this hamlet once lively with hikers and shops, we meet Ihika, a 12-year-old born into a family that has run an inn for generations. Her father has been living apart for a few years. Saki, Ihika's mother who married into this family, has been managing the inn with Shige, her father-in-law. One day, Shige disappears. As the inn's survival is threatened, a time of change is coming to for Ihika's family.Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
6
Overview:
Kawase tries to come to terms with her late father, whom she never knew when growing up, and contemplates getting a tattoo like his.The Wolf, the Fox, and the Leopard
NYR
Overview:
The wolf, the fox & the leopard is a dystopian story about Isa who has been found living amongst the wolves. She is brought back to a medical centre only to be kidnapped by a couple of extremists in order to build a new, purer world. A story about strength, faith and the ability to create an alternate reality.Acting
TBAEmergency Exit as Unknown
2025The Wolf, the Fox, and the Leopard as Unknown
2021Missing Pictures as Self
2021What Kento Nakajima Wants to Know About Movies Now (1 Episode) as Unknown
2020It Stopped Raining as Koyomi's Mother
2016Amami as Self
2014Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women as Self
2013The Tale of Iya as Dr. Amamiya
2013Shining Besides Funny Moon as Unknown
2012Trace as Self
2011Destroy Vicious as Unknown
2006Birth/Mother as Self
2003Shara as Reiko
2002Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom as Self
2001Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth as Self
1999Kaleidoscope as Self
1998Welcome Back For An Extracurricular Lesson, Sempai (1 Episode) as Self
1998Love & Pop as Woman speaking to Hiromi (voice)
1996Sun on the Horizon as Unknown
1995Memory of the Wind as Herself
1995See Heaven as Self
1994Katatsumori as Self
1992Embracing as Self
Directing
TBAたしかにあった幻 ... Director
TBAUntitled Naomi Kawase Film ... Director
2023echo ... Director
2022Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side B ... Director
2022Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side A ... Director
2021To The Future ... Director
2020True Mothers ... Director
2020Homemade (1 Episode) ... Director
2018The Moon ... Director
2018Vision ... Director
2018Cinema Fighters ... Director
2018Parallel World ... Director
2017Where Does the Sand Go? ... Director
2017Radiance ... Director
2016Amami ... Director
2016Lies ... Director
2016Seed ... Director
2015Sweet Bean ... Director
2014Still the Water ... Director
2012Hikaru Utada: Sakura Nagashi ... Director
2012Trace ... Director
2012Hanezu ... Director
201160 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero ... Director
20113.11 A Sense of Home Films ... Director
2010Genpin ... Director
2009Visitors ... Director
2009Koma ... Director
2009Haiku ... Director
2009Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase ... Director
2008Nanayo ... Director
2007The Mourning Forest ... Director
2006Birth/Mother ... Director
2003Shara ... Director
2002Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom ... Director
2001Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth ... Director
2001Firefly ... Director
1999Kaleidoscope ... Director
1998The Weald ... Director
1997Suzaku ... Director
1996Sun on the Horizon ... Director
1996This World (A Correspondence Between Naomi Kawase and Hirokazu Koreeda) ... Director
1995Memory of the Wind ... Director
1995See Heaven ... Director
1994Katatsumori ... Director
1993White Moon ... Director
1992Embracing ... Director
1991Like Happiness ... Director
1990The Girls' Daily Bread ... Director
1989My Sole Family ... Director
1989A Small Largeness ... Director
1989Presently, ... Director
1988The Concretization of These Things Flying Around Me ... Director
1988Papa's Ice Cream ... Director
1988My J-W-F ... Director
1988I Focus on That Which Interests Me ... Director
Production
2023Beyond the Fog ... Producer
2021Tracing Her Shadow ... Executive Producer
2019The Nikaidos' Fall ... Executive Producer
2018Vision ... Producer
2015A Midsummer's Fantasia ... Producer
2015Sweet Bean ... Associate Producer
2014Still the Water ... Producer
2012Inori ... Producer
2012Hanezu ... Producer
2010Genpin ... Producer
2008Nanayo ... Producer
2007The Mourning Forest ... Producer
1998The Weald ... Producer
1994Katatsumori ... Producer
1992Embracing ... Producer
Editing
2021To The Future ... Editor
2014Still the Water ... Editor
2012Trace ... Editor
2012Hanezu ... Editor
2009Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase ... Editor
2008Nanayo ... Editor
2002Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom ... Editor
2001Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth ... Editor
2001Firefly ... Editor
1999Kaleidoscope ... Editor
1998The Weald ... Editor
1994Katatsumori ... Editor
1992Embracing ... Editor
Camera
2021To The Future ... Director of Photography
2012Trace ... Director of Photography
2012Hanezu ... Director of Photography
2006Birth/Mother ... Director of Photography
2002Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom ... Director of Photography
2001Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth ... Director of Photography
1999Kaleidoscope ... Director of Photography
1998The Weald ... Director of Photography
1994Katatsumori ... Director of Photography
1992Embracing ... Director of Photography
Writing
2020True Mothers ... Screenplay
2018The Moon ... Writer
2018Vision ... Writer
2018Cinema Fighters ... Writer
2017Where Does the Sand Go? ... Writer
2017Radiance ... Screenplay
2016Seed ... Writer
2015Sweet Bean ... Screenplay
2014Still the Water ... Screenplay
2012Trace ... Writer
2012Hanezu ... Screenplay
2010Genpin ... Writer
2009Visitors ... Writer
2008Nanayo ... Screenplay
2007The Mourning Forest ... Screenplay
2003Shara ... Writer
2002Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom ... Writer
2001Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth ... Writer
2001Firefly ... Writer
1999Kaleidoscope ... Writer
1998The Weald ... Writer
1997Suzaku ... Writer
1996Sun on the Horizon ... Writer
1994Katatsumori ... Writer
1992Embracing ... Writer
Crew
2009Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase ... Cinematography