Japanese Literary Awards

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Sang-il Lee

り そうじつ

Lee Sang-il

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1974-01-06 （Niigata Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, Korean
Residence History
Niigata Prefecture (birth) → Yokohama (moved in childhood; long-term residence) → Tokyo (professional base)

Career

Occupations
Film director, Screenwriter, Assistant director (former)
Active Years
1999-

Education

Kanagawa University
Faculty of Economics
Country: Japan
Worked on V-cinema production as a student; left near graduation to pursue film
Nihon Eiga Gakkō (now Japan Institute of the Moving Image)
Country: Japan
Student film 'Ao ~chong~' won multiple awards at PFF

Awards

Shindō Kaneto Award (Gold)
2003
Work: BORDER LINE
Organization: Shindō Kaneto Award Committee
Result: 金賞
Japan Academy Prize (Best Director)
2007
Work: Hula Girls
Organization: Japan Academy Prize Association
Result: 最優秀監督賞
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Director of the Year)
2011
Work: Akunin (Villain)
Organization: Kinema Junpo
Result: 日本映画監督賞
Yamaji Fumiko Film Award
2010
Work: Akunin (Villain)
Organization: Yamaji Fumiko Film Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Hochi Film Awards (Director)
2016
Work: Iker / Ikari (Anger)
Organization: Hochi Shimbun
Result: 監督賞
Nikkan Sports Film Awards - Ishihara Yujiro Award (Director)
2022
Work: Rurô no Tsuki (Wandering Moon)
Organization: Nikkan Sports
Result: 監督賞
Young Artists' Award, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
2006
Work: Hula Girls
Category: 新人賞
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ao ~chong~

1999 Short film

Graduation film that won multiple awards at the PFF; an early acclaimed work.

YouthLoss and renewal

BORDER LINE

2002 Feature film

PFF Scholarship film; feature debut that brought significant attention.

BoundariesYouth

Hula Girls

2006 Drama

A story of revitalization of a coal town through Hawaiian dance (hula); won many domestic awards.

Community revivalCollective effortHope

Akunin (Villain)

2010 Suspense / Human drama

Film adaptation of a novel by Yoshida Shuichi. Explores sin, forgiveness and loneliness.

GuiltLonelinessTolerance

Ikari (Anger)

2016 Mystery / Drama

An ensemble piece depicting fragments of an incident and relationships through multiple viewpoints.

Truth and suspicionEthicsCommunity

Rurô no Tsuki (Wandering Moon)

2022 Drama

Film adaptation of a contemporary novel about relationships and new beginnings.

RenewalVictim-perpetrator relationships

Bibliography

  • Ao ~chong~ (1999)
  • BORDER LINE (2002)
  • 69 sixty nine (2004)
  • Scrap Heaven (2005)
  • Hula Girls (2006)
  • Akunin (2010)
  • The Unforgiven (2013)
  • Ikari (2016)
  • The Blue Hearts Can Be Heard: 1001 Violins (2017)
  • Wandering Moon (2022)
  • National Treasure (2025)

Adaptations

  • Film adaptations of novels (e.g. 'Akunin', 'Rurô no Tsuki', 'National Treasure')

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Realistic direction with careful psychological depiction of charactersOften uses ensemble / mosaic narrative structures
Recurring Motifs
Community vs individualGuilt and forgivenessRebirth / revival

Legacy

A widely acclaimed Japan-based director known for human dramas and themes of community revival; recipient of numerous major Japanese film awards.

Academic Societies

  • Communities related to Japan Institute of the Moving Image (alma mater)

Archives

  • Filmography records in databases such as the Japanese Movie Database

In Popular Culture

  • Frequently in the spotlight domestically due to film award wins

Trivia

  • Born as a third-generation Zainichi Korean
  • Was a member of his high school baseball club
  • Student film 'Ao ~chong~' won multiple awards at the PFF