Naomi Kawase
Director · Actor · WriterNaomi Kawase (河瀨直美 Kawase Naomi, born May 30, 1969) is a Japanese film director. She graduated from Visual Arts Osaka in 1989. Many of her works have been documentaries, including Embracing, about her search for the father who abandoned her as a child, and Katatsumori, about the grandmother who raised her. Aside from being a filmmaker, she is the founder and Executive Director for the Nara International Film Festival.
More details at TMDB
KNOWN FOR
FILMOGRAPHY
ACTOR23
The Wolf, the Fox, and the Leopard
2026
Emergency Exit
2025
Echoes of Motherhood
2025
It Stopped Raining
2020
Koyomi's Mother
Amami
2016
Self
Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women
2014
Self
Shining Besides Funny Moon
2013
The Tale of Iya
2013
Dr. Amamiya
- Trace
Trace
2012
Self
Destroy Vicious
2011
Rien ne s'efface
2008
elle-même
Birth/Mother
2006
Self
Women Make Films
2004
Self
Shara
2003
Reiko
Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom
2002
Self
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
2001
Self
Kaleidoscope
1999
Self
Love & Pop
1998
Woman speaking to Hiromi (voice)
Sun on the Horizon
1996
Self
See Heaven
1995
Self
- Memory of the Wind
Memory of the Wind
1995
Herself
Katatsumori
1994
Self
Embracing
1992
Self
DIRECTOR54
Yakushima's Illusion
2025
Director
echo
2023
Director
Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side B
2022
Director
Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Side A
2022
Director
- To The Future
To The Future
2021
Director
True Mothers
2020
Director
Cinema Fighters
2018
Director
The Moon
2018
Director
Vision
2018
Director
Parallel World
2018
Director
Where Does the Sand Go?
2017
Director
Radiance
2017
Director
Seed
2016
Director
Lies
2016
Director
Amami
2016
Director
Sweet Bean
2015
Director
Still the Water
2014
Director
Hanezu
2012
Director
- Trace
Trace
2012
Director
Hikaru Utada: Sakura Nagashi
2012
Director
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
2011
Director
60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
2011
Director
Genpin
2010
Director
Koma
2009
Director
- Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase
Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase
2009
Director
Haiku
2009
Director
Nanayo
2008
Director
The Mourning Forest
2007
Director
Birth/Mother
2006
Director
Shara
2003
Director
Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom
2002
Director
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
2001
Director
Firefly
2001
Director
Kaleidoscope
1999
Director
The Weald
1998
Director
Suzaku
1997
Director
Sun on the Horizon
1996
Director
This World (A Correspondence Between Naomi Kawase and Hirokazu Koreeda)
1996
Director
See Heaven
1995
Director
- Memory of the Wind
Memory of the Wind
1995
Director
- Kaze no kioku: Shibuya ni te 1995.12.26
Kaze no kioku: Shibuya ni te 1995.12.26
1995
Director
Katatsumori
1994
Director
White Moon
1993
Director
Embracing
1992
Director
Like Happiness
1991
Director
The Girls' Daily Bread
1990
Director
A Small Largeness
1989
Director
My Sole Family
1989
Director
Presently,
1989
Director
The Concretization of These Things Flying Around Me
1988
Director
I Focus on That Which Interests Me
1988
Director
Papa's Ice Cream
1988
Director
My J-W-F
1988
Director
- Untitled Naomi Kawase Film
Untitled Naomi Kawase Film
Director
WRITER25
Yakushima's Illusion
2025
Writer
True Mothers
2020
Screenplay
The Moon
2018
Writer
Cinema Fighters
2018
Writer
Vision
2018
Writer
Where Does the Sand Go?
2017
Writer
Radiance
2017
Screenplay
Seed
2016
Writer
Sweet Bean
2015
Screenplay
Still the Water
2014
Screenplay
Hanezu
2012
Screenplay
- Trace
Trace
2012
Writer
Genpin
2010
Writer
Nanayo
2008
Screenplay
The Mourning Forest
2007
Screenplay
Shara
2003
Writer
Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom
2002
Writer
Firefly
2001
Writer
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
2001
Writer
Kaleidoscope
1999
Writer
The Weald
1998
Writer
Suzaku
1997
Writer
Sun on the Horizon
1996
Writer
Katatsumori
1994
Writer
Embracing
1992
Writer
PRODUCER16
Transit in Flamingo
2026
Executive Producer
Beyond the Fog
2023
Producer
Tracing Her Shadow
2021
Executive Producer
The Nikaidos' Fall
2019
Executive Producer
Vision
2018
Producer
A Midsummer's Fantasia
2015
Producer
Sweet Bean
2015
Associate Producer
Still the Water
2014
Producer
- Inori
Inori
2012
Producer
Hanezu
2012
Producer
Genpin
2010
Producer
Nanayo
2008
Producer
The Mourning Forest
2007
Producer
The Weald
1998
Producer
Katatsumori
1994
Producer
Embracing
1992
Producer
EDITOR13
- To The Future
To The Future
2021
Editor
Still the Water
2014
Editor
Hanezu
2012
Editor
- Trace
Trace
2012
Editor
- Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase
Cinematic Correspondences: Isaki Lacuesta - Naomi Kawase
2009
Editor
Nanayo
2008
Editor
Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom
2002
Editor
Firefly
2001
Editor
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
2001
Editor
Kaleidoscope
1999
Editor
The Weald
1998
Editor
Katatsumori
1994
Editor
Embracing
1992
Editor
CINEMATOGRAPHER12
- To The Future
To The Future
2021
Director of Photography
True Mothers
2020
Director of Photography
Hanezu
2012
Director of Photography
- Trace
Trace
2012
Director of Photography
Birth/Mother
2006
Director of Photography
Letter from a Yellow Cherry Blossom
2002
Director of Photography
Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
2001
Director of Photography
Kaleidoscope
1999
Director of Photography
The Weald
1998
Director of Photography
Sun on the Horizon
1996
Camera Operator
Katatsumori
1994
Director of Photography
Embracing
1992
Director of Photography
