was a Japanese film director from

Azumino is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 97,761 in 39744 households. and a population density of 290 persons per km2. Its total area is . Etymology of Azumino Azumino is a combination of two wo ...

, Nagano prefecture. After his studies in literature at Shinshu University, he began work as a director's assistant. He won the

Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award The is given annually by the Directors Guild of Japan to a new director of a film released that year who is considered the most "suitable" for the award. The winner is selected by a committee formed of DGJ members. All formats—feature film, docum ...

for his first film, '' Nihon rettō'', in 1965. His 1972 film '' Shinobu Kawa'' was entered into the

8th Moscow International Film Festival The 8th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 10 to 23 July 1973. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Soviet film '' That Sweet Word: Liberty!'' directed by Vytautas Žalakevičius and the Bulgarian film '' Affection'' directed by L ...

. His 1973 film ''

Rise, Fair Sun is a 1973 Japanese drama film directed by Kei Kumai. It was entered into the 24th Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Tatsuya Nakadai as Sakuzo * Kinya Kitaoji as Asao, Haruko's lover * Keiko Takahashi as Haruko, Sakuzo's daughter (as K ...

'' was entered into the

24th Berlin International Film Festival The 24th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 21 June – 2 July 1974. The Golden Bear was awarded to the Canadian film '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' directed by Ted Kotcheff. Jury The following people were announc ...

. ''

Sandakan No. 8 is a 1974 Japanese drama film directed by Kei Kumai, starring Yoko Takahashi, Komaki Kurihara and Kinuyo Tanaka. It was nominated for the 1975 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also became one of the highest-grossing Japanese fi ...

'' received widespread acclaim for tackling the issue of a woman forced into prostitution in Borneo before the outbreak of World War II.

Kinuyo Tanaka was a Japanese actress and film director. She had a career lasting over 50 years with more than 250 acting credits, but was best known for her 15 films with director Kenji Mizoguchi, such as ''The Life of Oharu'' (1952) and ''Ugetsu'' (1953). W ...

won the Best Actress Award at the 25th Berlin International Film Festival for her performance. The film was nominated for the

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

at the

48th Academy Awards The 48th Academy Awards were presented Monday, March 29, 1976, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The ceremonies were presided over by Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn, and Gene Kelly. This year ...

. Kumai's follow-up film was 1976's ''

Cape of North is a Japanese movie directed by Kei Kumai (1976) The film, based on a novel of Kunio Tsuji, deals with the relationship between rich countries and the Third World. In the center of the story, Marie Therese (Claude Jade), a Swiss religious missi ...

'', starring French actress

Claude Jade Claude Marcelle Jorré, better known as Claude Jade (; 8 October 1948 – 1 December 2006), was a French actress. She starred as Christine in François Truffaut's three films '' Stolen Kisses'' (1968), '' Bed and Board'' (1970) and '' Love on th ...

as a Swiss nun who falls in love with a Japanese engineer on a trip from Marseilles to

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

. His 1986 film ''

The Sea and Poison ''The Sea and Poison'' () is a 1957 Japanese short novel written by Shūsaku Endō. Plot The story is set in Fukuoka hospital during the late stages of World War II, when Japan is demoralized by constant air raids. The intern Dr. Suguro partici ...

'' won the Silver Bear - Special Jury Prize at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1992, his film '' Luminous Moss'' was entered into the

42nd Berlin International Film Festival The 42nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 February 1992. The festival opened with '' The Inner Circle'' by Andrei Konchalovsky. The Golden Bear was awarded to American film ''Grand Canyon'' directed by Lawrence Ka ...

. Other works include ''

Death of a Tea Master ''Death of a Tea Master'' ( ja, 千利休本覺坊遺文, ''Sen no Rikyu: Honkakubô ibun'' also known as ''Sen no Rikyū: Honkakubo's Student Writings'') is a 1989 Japanese biographical drama film directed by Kei Kumai. It is based on real life e ...

'' starring

Toshirō Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and '' ...

Sen no Rikyū , also known simply as Rikyū, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on ''chanoyu,'' the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of '' wabi-cha''. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspects ...

(Silver Lion at the 46th Venice International Film Festival), and the 2002 film ''

The Sea Is Watching is a 2002 Japanese romance film directed by Kei Kumai, based on a screenplay by Akira Kurosawa. Cast * Misa Shimizu – Kikuno * Nagiko Tōno – Oshin * Masatoshi Nagase – Ryosuke * Hidetaka Yoshioka is a Japanese actor known for his per ...

'', based on

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...

's posthumous script.

Filmography

* ''

Mutekiga Ore o Yondeiru also known as ''The Call of the Foghorn'' is a 1960 Japanese film directed by Yamazaki Tokujirō. It was the final film of young star Akagi Keiichiro before his death, and considered his most famous work. Plot Sugi is a navigator of the ship Su ...

'' (1960) (Screenplay) * (1965) * ''

The Sands of Kurobe is a 1968 Japanese drama film directed by Kei Kumai. It was Japan's submission to the 41st Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee. Produced by its stars Toshiro Mifune and Yujiro Ish ...

'' (1968) * ''

Apart from Life ''Apart from Life'' ( ja, 地の群れ, translit. Chi no mure) is a 1970 Japanese drama film directed by Kei Kumai. It was entered into the 20th Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Mizuho Suzuki as Unami * Hiroko Kino as Noriko F ...

'' (1970) * '' Shinobu Kawa'' (1972) * ''

'' (1973) * ''

'' (1974) * ''

'' (1976) * ''Ocean to Cross'' * '' Ogin-sama'' (1978) * ''

Tempyō no Iraka is a 1980 Japanese historical drama film directed by Kei Kumai, based on Yasushi Inoue's novel of the same name. The film follows a Japanese mission to Tang China during the Heian period. Cast * Katsuo Nakamura as Fushō * Masaaki Daimon as Y� ...

'' (1980) * '' Nihon no Atsui Hibi Bōsatsu: Shimoyama Jiken'' (1981) * ''

'' (1986) * ''

'' (1989) * '' Luminous Moss'' (1992) * '' Deep River'' (1995) * ''To Love'' (1997) * ''

'' (2002)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kumai Kei 1930 births 2007 deaths Japanese film directors Place of birth missing Place of death missing