was a Japanese
film director
A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
. He directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000 and was noted for his work within
seishun-eiga, which include films such as the successful
''Sailor Suit and Machine Gun'' (1981) and critically acclaimed ''
Typhoon Club'' (1985).
Career and style
The most recognizable trademark of Somai is the use of
long takes, creating a kind of rupture between reality and the inner emotions of the characters. The first 15 minutes of
''Lost Chapter of Snow'' (1985) is probably the best crafted long take of his career.
His film ''
Moving'' was screened in the
Un Certain Regard
(; 'A Certain Glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob.
The section presents 20 films with unusua ...
section at the
1993 Cannes Film Festival
The 46th Cannes Film Festival took place from 13 to 24 May 1993. French filmmaker Louis Malle served as jury president for the main competition. French actress Jeanne Moreau hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.
The ''Palme d'Or'' was join ...
.
His 1998 film, ''
Wait and See'', won the
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for ''Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique'') is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the wor ...
prize at the
49th Berlin International Film Festival in 1999.
The
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival.
EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...
artistic director Chris Fujiwara noted that American film director
Nicholas Ray and French film director
Jean Vigo
Jean Vigo (; 26 April 1905 – 5 October 1934) was a French film director who helped establish poetic realism in film in the 1930s. His work influenced French New Wave cinema of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Biography
Vigo was born to Emi ...
shared Somai's sensibilities.
Legacy
Somai has been cited as one of the most important Japanese directors of not only his generation, but of Japanese cinema as a whole. His influence has been cited by
Ryusuke Hamaguchi and
Hirokazu Kore-eda
is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including '' Nobody Knows'' (2004), '' Still Walking'' (2008), and '' After the Storm'' ( ...
as well as critic and theorist
Shigehiko Hasumi.
Japan Society presented the first North American retrospective of his work in 2023, which included the world premiere of
Typhoon Club's 4K restoration. In 2024, Japan Society would present Somai's ''
Moving'' with lead actress
Tomoko Tabata.
Filmography
* ''
Tonda Couple'' (1980)
* ''
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun'' (1981)
* ''
P.P. Rider'' (1983)
* ''
The Catch'' (1983)
* ''
Love Hotel'' (1985)
* ''
Typhoon Club'' (1985)
* ''Lost Chapter of Snow: Passion'' (1985)
* ''Luminous Woman'' (1987)
* ''
Tokyo Heaven'' (1990)
* ''
Moving'' (1993)
* ''The Friends'' (1994)
* ''
Wait and See'' (1998)
* ''Kaza-hana'' (2000)
Further reading
*
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somai, Shinji
1948 births
2001 deaths
Japanese film directors
Deaths from lung cancer in Japan
People from Morioka, Iwate
People from Isehara, Kanagawa