Hirokazu Kore-eda
Hirokazu Kore-eda (born 1962) is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and editor known for tender, observational dramas about family — its absences, improvisations, and ethical compromises. He began in television documentary, an apprenticeship that shaped his patient interest in everyday gesture and unforced performance, before turning to feature filmmaking in the 1990s. His work has been frequently compared to that of Ozu and Ken Loach while remaining distinctively his own. His acclaimed films include Maborosi, Nobody Knows, Still Walking, Like Father, Like Son, Our Little Sister, and Shoplifters, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2018.