Akiko Ōku
Akiko Ōku | |
|---|---|
大九 明子 | |
.jpg) Ohku at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2024 | |
| Born | October 8, 1968 Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Alma mater | Meiji University (Political Science)[1] |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Website | https://www.sarutohebi.com/ |
Akiko Ōku (大九 明子, Ōku Akiko; born October 8, 1968),[2] also romanised as Akiko Ohku, is a Japanese film director and screenwriter.
Ōku was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa.[3] In high school, she joined a rakugo group. While studying Politics and Economics at Meiji University, she was part of a student theatre troupe. After graduating, Ōku briefly had an office job at a subsidiary of the Ministry of Labour. She then entered a comedy acting school for one year and performed as a stand-up comedian, and afterwards, at age 27, she entered Eigabi School, a film school where director Kiyoshi Kurosawa taught, among others.
Igaito shinanai
[edit]While still at film school, Ōku won a screenwriting contest with a script that would become her theatrical feature film debut as director, 意外と死なない (Igaito shinanai, literally "don't die unexpectedly"). The film was released in 1999.[2] It is about an elementary school teacher troubled by pupils, parents, colleagues and a stalker.
Lost After School
[edit]Lost After School (original title 放課後ロスト Hōkago rosuto) is an anthology film released in 2014 consisting of three episodes about high school girls.[3] The film is based on the shōjo manga World Gaze Clips by Ran Igarashi.[4] Each episode was directed by a different female director, the other directors besides Ōku being Chihiro Amano and Ai Nagura.[3] Ōku's segment is titled 倍音 (baion, literally "overtones").
Fantastic Girls
[edit]Fantastic Girls (original title でーれーガールズ Dērē gāruzu) was released in 2015.[3] It is adapted from the novel of the same title by Maha Harada. The word dērē in the title is Okayama dialect and means "very". The story is about two high-school friends in 1980 who reunite 30 years later.
Tremble All You Want
[edit]勝手にふるえてろ (Katte ni furuetero) is a romantic comedy released in 2017. It won the Audience Award at the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival, and its leading actress Mayu Matsuoka was nominated for a Japan Academy Film Prize.
Later films
[edit]Further films by Ōku include 美人が婚活してみたら Bijin ga konkatsu shite mitara / Marriage Hunting Beauty (2019, based on the manga by Arako Toaru) and 私をくいとめて Watashi wo kuitomete / Hold Me Back (2020, based on the novel by Risa Wataya).
References
[edit]- ^ "No.39 大九明子さん（映画監督）[第1章]【13歳のハローワーク公式サイト】". 13歳のハローワーク公式サイト(13hw) －中高生のための…未来のヒントに出会う場所。－ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ^ a b "MS Profile - 大九 明子 Akiko Ooku". The Monkey & Snake's Site (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Udagawa, Shinya (August 2014). "著名人インタビュー この人に聞きたい！ 大九明子さん［映画監督］" [Celebrity Interview - I Want to Ask this Person! Akiko Ōku, Film Director]. 13歳のハローワーク (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ "World Gaze Clips". MyAnimeList. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
