阪本順治

Junji Sakamoto (b. 1954, Sakai) is one of the best-known Japanese independent filmmakers of the 1990s. He began as assistant to directors Sogo Ishii and Kazayuki Izutsu. In 1989 he made his debut with the story of a boxer trying to return to the ring, Knock Out! (Dotsuitarunen), which placed him among the most interesting of the beginners. Today he has thirteen titles to his credit as director, films which have won him universal attention at a number of international festivals. Face (Kao, 2000) brought him a Japanese Academy Award for Best Director and a nomination for Best Script, and was accepted for the competition at San Sebastian. The drama Another Battle (Shin jingi naki tatakai, 2000), inspired by the classic yakuza films of Kinji Fukasaku, was successfully shown at the Rotterdam IFF. Inspired by real political events, KT (2002) roused lively interest in the competition at the Berlinale.

MFF Karlovy Vary