On January 15th 3:25 pm, filmmaker Oshima Nagisa passed away (age 80) due to pneumonia at a hospital in Fujisawa city, Kanagawa.
After entering Shochiku Ltd in 1954, Oshima made his director debut with “Ai to Kibo no Machi” in 1959. He directed many hit movies like “Seishun Zankoku Monogatari (= Cruel Story of Youth)” and “Taiyo no Hakaba (= The Sun’s Burial)” which earned him the title, ‘Shochiku nouvelle vague’.
He then left Shochiku Ltd in 1961, and launched an independent production company “Souzousha”. Ever since then he released many films, and in 1975 after dissolving “Souzousha”, he directed Japanese-French film “Ai no Corrida (= In the Realm of the Senses)” which consolidated his international valuation. He has also won the award for Best Director at the 1978 Cannes Film Festival, with “Ai no Borei (= Empire of Passion).”
In 1996, he announced the production of a new movie which was his first in about 10 years, however, he came down with a stroke in the U.K. After the rehabilitation, he then completed the movie “Gohatto (= Taboo)” in 1999, and he exhibited it at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2000, he received a Purple Ribbon Medal, and also received the French award of Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
In his last years, Oshima had been striving to overcome his speech impediment and paralysis on the right side of his body while receiving support by his wife and actress Koyama Akiko.
Our condolences to his family and friends.
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