Kazuo Kuroki

Known for DirectingBorn 1930-11-10Died 2006-04-12Matsukasa, Japan

Kazuo Kuroki (黒木和雄 Kuroki Kazuo) was a Japanese film director who was particularly known for his films on World War II and the question of personal guilt. He attended Doshisha University, but left before graduating, instead finding employment at Iwanami Productions. There he directed PR films and documentary films, while also participating in the "Blue Group" (Ao no kai) with other Iwanami filmmakers such as Noriaki Tsuchimoto, Shinsuke Ogawa, and Yōichi Higashi, a group that was exploring new paths in documentary. Kuroki left Iwanami after experiencing conflicts with the sponsors of Hokkaido, My Love (1960). With Record of a Marathon Runner (1964) that helped spark changes in the Japanese documentary world. Kuroki switched to fiction film, independently producing Silence Has No Wings (1966) and showing it at the Art Theatre Guild. He became one of the representative figures of ATG and independent Japanese cinema, and was particularly known for a series of works dealing with the atomic bombings of Japan, such as Tomorrow (1988) and The Face of Jizo (2004). These were in part spurred by his growing up near the city of Nagasaki. Kuroki's work also dealt with his own feelings of guilt from the war, as he felt responsible when some of his fellow students, who had been conscripted to work in a local factory, died in Allied bombings and he did not helpRead more

Movies & web series

Record of a Marathon Runner

Hokkaido, My Love

Tomorrow

A Bridge of Tears

The Blossoming of Etsuko Kamiya

The Face of Jizo

Until Evening

Pickpocket

Silence Has No Wings

Evil Spirits of Japan

Cuban Lover

Hear the Wind Sing

Lost Love

Ronin-gai

A Boy's Summer in 1945

Preparation for the Festival

The Assassination of Ryoma

Woman's Deadly Blow! Woman's Skin-Covered Fall

A Tragic Prime Minister: The Life of Koki Hirota

Keishi-K

When the Night Breaks

Horror Theater Unbalance

The Solar Thread

The Seas Are Full of Sheep in Love

The Sea Wall