Kazuo Kuroki (é»'木å'Œé›„, Kuroki Kazuo) was a Japanese film director
who was particularly known for his films on World War II and the
question of personal guilt.While Kuroki was often listed as being born
in Miyazaki Prefecture, he was actually born in Matsusaka, Mie. He
attended Doshisha University, but left before graduating, instead
finding employment at Iwanami Productions (Iwanami Eiga). 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 YÅ ichi Higashi, a group that
was exploring new paths in documentary. Kuroki left Iwanami after
experiencing conflicts with the sponsors of his Hokkaido, My Love
(1960), and it was his 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 guilt from
the war, as he felt responsible when some of his fellow students, who
had been conscripted to work in a local factory, died in Allied
bombings and he did not help.
who was particularly known for his films on World War II and the
question of personal guilt.While Kuroki was often listed as being born
in Miyazaki Prefecture, he was actually born in Matsusaka, Mie. He
attended Doshisha University, but left before graduating, instead
finding employment at Iwanami Productions (Iwanami Eiga). 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 YÅ ichi Higashi, a group that
was exploring new paths in documentary. Kuroki left Iwanami after
experiencing conflicts with the sponsors of his Hokkaido, My Love
(1960), and it was his 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 guilt from
the war, as he felt responsible when some of his fellow students, who
had been conscripted to work in a local factory, died in Allied
bombings and he did not help.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.