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.
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix
Caméra d'Or
Grand Prix
Known For
True Mothers
(2020)
Director
Sweet Bean
(2015)
Director
Still the Water
(2014)
Director
Radiance
(2017)
Director
Vision
(2018)
Director
Full Filmography
Directing
Papa's Ice Cream
(1988)
Director
My J-W-F
(1988)
Director
The Concretization of These Things Flying Around Me
(1988)
Director
I Focus on That Which Interests Me
(1988)
Director
Presently,
(1989)
Director
My Sole Family
(1989)
Director
A Small Largeness
(1989)
Director
The Girls' Daily Bread
(1990)
Director
Like Happiness
(1991)
Director
Embracing
(1992)
Director
White Moon
(1993)
Director
Katatsumori
(1994)
Director
See Heaven
(1995)
Director
Memory of the Wind
(1995)
Director
Sun on the Horizon
(1996)
Director
This World (A Correspondence Between Naomi Kawase and Hirokazu Koreeda)
(1996)
Director
Suzaku
(1997)
Director
The Weald
(1997)
Director
Kaleidoscope
(1999)
Director
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
(2001)
Director
Firefly
(2001)
Director
Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom
(2002)
Director
Shara
(2003)
Director
Birth/Mother
(2006)
Director
The Mourning Forest
(2007)
Director
Nanayo
(2008)
Director
Visitors
(2009)
Director
Koma
(2009)
Director
Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase
(2009)
Director
Haiku
(2009)
Director
Genpin
(2010)
Director
3.11 A Sense of Home
(2011)
Director
60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
(2011)
Director
Hanezu
(2012)
Director
Trace
(2012)
Director
Hikaru Utada: Sakura Nagashi
(2012)
Director
Still the Water
(2014)
Director
Sweet Bean
(2015)
Director
Seed
(2016)
Director
Lies
(2016)
Director
Radiance
(2017)
Director
Where Does the Sand Go?
(2017)
Director
Vision
(2018)
Director
Parallel World
(2018)
Director
CINEMA FIGHTERS
(2018)
Director
The Moon
(2018)
Director
True Mothers
(2020)
Director
To The Future
(2021)
Director
Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side A
(2022)
Director
Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side B
(2022)
Director
echo
(2023)
Director
Acting
Embracing
(1992)
Self
Katatsumori
(1994)
Self
Memory of the Wind
(1995)
Herself
See Heaven
(1995)
Self
Sun on the Horizon
(1996)
Love & Pop
(1998)
Woman speaking to Hiromi (voice)
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
(2001)
Self
Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom
(2002)
Herself
Shara
(2003)
Reiko
Birth/Mother
(2006)
Self
Destroy Vicious
(2011)
Trace
(2012)
Herself
The Tale of Iya
(2013)
Dr. Amamiya
Shining Besides Funny Moon
(2013)
Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women
(2014)
Self
It Stopped Raining
(2020)
Koyomi's Mother
Missing Pictures
(2021)
Herself
Camera
Embracing
(1992)
Director of Photography
Katatsumori
(1994)
Director of Photography
The Weald
(1997)
Director of Photography
Birth/Mother
(2006)
Director of Photography
Hanezu
(2012)
Director of Photography
To The Future
(2021)
Director of Photography
Editing
Embracing
(1992)
Editor
Katatsumori
(1994)
Editor
The Weald
(1997)
Editor
Firefly
(2001)
Editor
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
(2001)
Editor
Nanayo
(2008)
Editor
Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase
(2009)
Editor
Hanezu
(2012)
Editor
Still the Water
(2014)
Editor
To The Future
(2021)
Editor
Production
Embracing
(1992)
Producer
Katatsumori
(1994)
Producer
The Weald
(1997)
Producer
The Mourning Forest
(2007)
Producer
Nanayo
(2008)
Producer
Genpin
(2010)
Producer
Inori
(2012)
Producer
Hanezu
(2012)
Producer
A Midsummer's Fantasia
(2014)
Producer
Still the Water
(2014)
Producer
Sweet Bean
(2015)
Associate Producer
Vision
(2018)
Producer
The Nikaidos' Fall
(2019)
Executive Producer
Tracing Her Shadow
(2021)
Executive Producer
Beyond the Fog
(2023)
Producer
Sound
Writing
Katatsumori
(1994)
Writer
Sun on the Horizon
(1996)
Writer
Suzaku
(1997)
Writer
Firefly
(2001)
Writer
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
(2001)
Writer
Shara
(2003)
Writer
The Mourning Forest
(2007)
Screenplay
Nanayo
(2008)
Screenplay
Visitors
(2009)
Writer
Genpin
(2010)
Writer
Hanezu
(2012)
Screenplay
Still the Water
(2014)
Screenplay
Sweet Bean
(2015)
Screenplay
Seed
(2016)
Writer
Radiance
(2017)
Screenplay
Where Does the Sand Go?
(2017)
Writer
Vision
(2018)
Writer
The Moon
(2018)
Writer
CINEMA FIGHTERS
(2018)
Writer
True Mothers
(2020)
Screenplay
Crew