Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 19 (1969) award
Shohei Imamura
いまむら しょうへい
Imamura Shōhei
Aliases:
Shohei Imamura
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1926-11-15
- Died
- 2006-05-30 （Tokyo, Japan） age 79
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Film director, Screenwriter, Film producer
- Active Years
- 1951-2006
- Influenced By
- Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu, Jean Renoir
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Palme d'Or | The Ballad of Narayama | — | Cannes Film Festival | Winner |
| 1997 | Palme d'Or | The Eel | — | Cannes Film Festival | Winner |
Palme d'Or
1983
Work:
The Ballad of Narayama
Organization:
Cannes Film Festival
Result:
Winner
Palme d'Or
1997
Work:
The Eel
Organization:
Cannes Film Festival
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Ballad of Narayama
1983 Period drama / DramaA story set in a remote mountain village where elderly people are habitually taken to Narayama to die; explores community, duty and the ethics of survival.
agingcommunityfolklorelife and death
The Eel
1997 DramaAfter being released from prison, a man attempts to rebuild his life while grappling with guilt and ostracism; a study of redemption and loneliness.
atonementredemptionlonelinesssocial ostracism
Vengeance Is Mine
1979 Crime / DramaA psychological drama inspired by a real serial-killer case, probing the roots of criminal behavior and human impulses.
crimeviolencemoral decaypsychology
Pigs and Battleships
1961 Social dramaA portrait set in a port town during the occupation, where the interests of U.S. military, gangsters and workers collide; depicts postwar social contradictions in Japan.
occupationeconomic exploitationclasssocial critique
Bibliography
- Pigs and Battleships
- Vengeance Is Mine
- The Ballad of Narayama
- The Eel
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- RealismDepiction of lower social strataBlack humorFolkloric perspective
- Recurring Motifs
- Eros and sexualityFood and reproductionAging and deathViolence
Legacy
One of postwar Japan's major film directors. Known for his portrayals of ordinary people and society's margins; established international reputation with Palme d'Or wins in 1983 and 1997.
Academic Societies
- Japan Society for Film Studies
Archives
- National Film Archive of Japan
In Popular Culture
- Frequently the subject of retrospective screenings at film festivals and film history studies.
- Widely referenced in contexts of Japanese film history and international film festivals.
Trivia
- One of the few directors to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes twice.
- His films often candidly depicted common people, sexual taboos, and violence.
- An important figure in Japan's postwar New Wave and socially engaged cinema.