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Yōichi Sai
Director

Yōichi Sai

6 Jul 1949Born
27 Nov 2022Died
73Age at death
28Credits

Biography

Yōichi Sai (born 6 July 1949 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan) was a Japanese film director. His mother is Japanese, His father is zainichi Korean.

His 2004 film Chi to hone won four Japanese Academy Awards, including two for Sai himself, for Best Director and Best Screenplay. He had previously received two nominations in the same categories for Tsuki wa dotchi ni dete iru. In 1999 he shot Buta no mukui (The Pig's Retribution), a film set in the lavish natural scenery of Okinawa, inspired by the 1996 Akutagawa Prize-winning eponymous novel by Eiki Matayoshi.

Read the full biography

The film won the Don Quixote prize at Locarno International Film Festival in 1999.

He won the award for Best Screenplay at the 11th Yokohama Film Festival for A Sign Days.

As an actor, he appeared in Nagisa Oshima's 1999 film Taboo. He is the current president of the Directors Guild of Japan.   

Known for

Filmography

  1. 2022優作について私が知っている二、三の事柄Film: Director
  2. 2022CLUB DEJA-VU ONE NIGHT SHOW 松田優作・メモリアル・ライブFilm: Director
  3. 2009KamuiFilm: Director, Screenplay
  4. 2008The Short Films: We Were All Once ChildrenFilm: Director
  5. 2007SooFilm: Director, Writer
  6. 2006Route 225Film
  7. 2004Blood and BonesFilm: Director, Screenplay
  8. 2004Quill: The Life of a Guide DogFilm: Director
  9. 2002Doing TimeFilm: Director, Writer
  10. 1999TabooFilm: Isami Kondo
  11. 1999The Pig's RetributionFilm: Director, Screenplay
  12. 1998Dog RaceFilm: Director, Writer
  13. 1995MARKSFilm: Screenplay, Director
  14. 1995The Stairway to the Distant PastFilm: Chief of Police
  15. 1995Heisei Irresponsible Family: Tokyo de LuxeFilm: Director, Screenplay
  16. 1994N45゜Film: Bearded man
  17. 1993All Under the MoonFilm: Section Chief, Director, Screenplay
  18. 1991Burning DogFilm: Director
  19. 1989Via OkinawaFilm: Director
  20. 1988The Glorious Asuka Gang!Film: Director, Screenplay
  21. 1987The Lady in a Black DressFilm: Director
  22. 1986Love StoryFilm: Director
  23. 1985Let Him Rest in PeaceFilm: Director
  24. 1984Someday, Someone Will Be KilledFilm: Director
  25. 1983DansenFilm: Director
  26. 1983Sexual CrimeFilm: Director
  27. 1983The Mosquito on the Tenth FloorFilm: Director, Writer
  28. 1981Pro HunterSeries: Director (3 episodes)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.