Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Ryūsuke Hamaguchi (born 1978) is a Japanese director and screenwriter, the most internationally celebrated figure of the younger generation of Japanese filmmakers. He trained at the Tokyo University of the Arts under Kiyoshi Kurosawa and began with documentary work after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake before turning to ambitious dialogue-driven dramas that combine Chekhovian and Cassavetes-like sensibilities. His five-hour ensemble feature Happy Hour brought him broad international notice. His acclaimed films include Happy Hour, Asako I & II, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (which won the Grand Jury Prize at Berlin), Drive My Car (which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film), and Evil Does Not Exist.