Kazuo Kuroki

Biography

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 gui…

Directed

1. Silence Has No Wings (1966) — Director
2. The Assassination of Ryoma (1974) — Director
3. Ronin-gai (1990) — Director
4. The Face of Jizo (2004) — Director
5. Preparation for the Festival (1975) — Director
6. Evil Spirits of Japan (1970) — Director
7. Tomorrow (1988) — Director
8. The Blossoming of Etsuko Kamiya (2006) — Director
9. Lost Love (1978) — Director
10. Cuban Lover (1969) — Director
11. A Boy's Summer in 1945 (2002) — Director
12. Pickpocket (2000) — Director
13. A Bridge of Tears (1983) — Director
14. Record of a Marathon Runner (1963) — Director
15. Hokkaido, My Love (1962) — Director
16. Until Evening (1980) — Director
17. The Sea Wall (1959) — Director
18. The Seas Are Full of Sheep in Love (1961) — Director
19. The Solar Thread (1963) — Director
20. When the Night Breaks (1973) — Director
21. A Tragic Prime Minister: The Life of Koki Hirota (1993) — Director
22. Horror Theater Unbalance (1973) — Director
23. Keishi-K (1980) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Hear the Wind Sing (1981) — Shrink