Naomi Kawase
Known for directing · Born 30 May 1969 · 57 · Nara, Japan
86 credits
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.
Known for
Sweet Bean
2015
Radiance
2017
Still the Water
2014
True Mothers
2020
The Mourning Forest
2007
Shara
2003
Suzaku
1997
Vision
2018
Homemade
2020
Hanezu
2012
Nanayo
2008
Katatsumori
1994
Acting (25)
2026The Wolf, the Fox, and the LeopardTanakaFilm
2026Echoes of MotherhoodFilm
2025Emergency ExitFilm
2021What Kento Nakajima Wants to Know About Movies NowSeries
2020It Stopped RainingKoyomi's MotherFilm
2016AmamiSelfFilm
2014Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel WomenSelfFilm
2013The Tale of IyaDr. AmamiyaFilm
2013Shining Besides Funny MoonFilm
2012TraceSelfFilm
2011Destroy ViciousFilm
2008Rien ne s'effaceelle-mêmeFilm
2006Birth/MotherSelfFilm
2004Women Make FilmsSelfFilm
2003SharaReikoFilm
2002Letter from a Yellow Cherry BlossomSelfFilm
2001Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, EarthSelfFilm
1999KaleidoscopeSelfFilm
1998Love & PopWoman speaking to Hiromi (voice)Film
1998Welcome Back For An Extracurricular Lesson, SempaiSelfSeries
1996Sun on the HorizonSelfFilm
1995See HeavenSelfFilm
1995Memory of the WindHerselfFilm
1994KatatsumoriSelfFilm
1992EmbracingSelfFilm
Directing (54)
2025Yakushima's IllusionDirector, WriterFilm
2023echoDirectorFilm
2022Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side BDirectorFilm
2022Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side ADirectorFilm
2021To The FutureDirector, Editor, Director of PhotographyFilm
2020True MothersDirector, Screenplay, Director of PhotographyFilm
2020HomemadeDirectorSeries
2018VisionDirector, Writer, ProducerFilm
2018Cinema FightersDirector, WriterFilm
2018The MoonDirector, WriterFilm
2018Parallel WorldDirectorFilm
2017RadianceDirector, ScreenplayFilm
2017Where Does the Sand Go?Director, WriterFilm
2016SeedDirector, WriterFilm
2016LiesDirectorFilm
2016AmamiDirectorFilm
2014Still the WaterDirector, Screenplay, Editor, ProducerFilm
2012HanezuDirector, Screenplay, Producer, Director of Photography, EditorFilm
2012TraceDirector, Writer, Editor, Director of PhotographyFilm
2012Hikaru Utada: Sakura NagashiDirectorFilm
201160 Seconds of Solitude in Year ZeroDirectorFilm
20113.11 A Sense of Home FilmsDirectorFilm
2010GenpinDirector, Writer, ProducerFilm
2009Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi KawaseDirector, Editor, CinematographyFilm
2009KomaDirectorFilm
2009HaikuDirectorFilm
2008NanayoDirector, Screenplay, Producer, EditorFilm
2007The Mourning ForestDirector, Screenplay, ProducerFilm
2006Birth/MotherDirector, Director of PhotographyFilm
2003SharaDirector, WriterFilm
2002Letter from a Yellow Cherry BlossomDirector, Writer, Editor, Director of PhotographyFilm
2001Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, EarthDirector, Writer, Editor, Director of PhotographyFilm
2001FireflyDirector, Writer, Music, EditorFilm
1999KaleidoscopeDirector, Director of Photography, Editor, WriterFilm
1998The WealdDirector, Writer, Producer, Editor, Director of PhotographyFilm
1997SuzakuDirector, WriterFilm
1996Sun on the HorizonDirector, Writer, Camera OperatorFilm
1996This World (A Correspondence Between Naomi Kawase and Hirokazu Koreeda)DirectorFilm
1995See HeavenDirectorFilm
1995Memory of the WindDirectorFilm
1995Kaze no kioku: Shibuya ni te 1995.12.26DirectorFilm
1994KatatsumoriDirector, Producer, Director of Photography, Editor, WriterFilm
1993White MoonDirectorFilm
1992EmbracingDirector, Director of Photography, Editor, Sound Recordist, Producer, WriterFilm
1991Like HappinessDirectorFilm
1990The Girls' Daily BreadDirectorFilm
1989Presently,DirectorFilm
1989My Sole FamilyDirectorFilm
1989A Small LargenessDirectorFilm
1988Papa's Ice CreamDirectorFilm
1988My J-W-FDirectorFilm
1988The Concretization of These Things Flying Around MeDirectorFilm
1988I Focus on That Which Interests MeDirectorFilm
—Untitled Naomi Kawase FilmDirectorFilm
Production (6)
2026Transit in FlamingoExecutive ProducerFilm
2023Beyond the FogProducerFilm
2021Tracing Her ShadowExecutive ProducerFilm
2019The Nikaidos' FallExecutive ProducerFilm
2015A Midsummer's FantasiaProducerFilm
2012InoriProducerFilm
Writing (1)
2015Sweet BeanScreenplay, Director, Associate ProducerFilm