Yōichi Sai

Personal Info

Known ForDirecting
Born1949-07-06
BirthplaceNagano, Japan

Yōichi Sai

Directing

Biography

Yōichi Sai (born 6 July 1949 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan) was a Japanese film director. His mother is Japanese, His father is zainichi Korean.

His 2004 film Chi to hone won four Japanese Academy Awards, including two for Sai himself, for Best Director and Best Screenplay. He had previously received two nominations in the same categories for Tsuki wa dotchi ni dete iru. In 1999 he shot Buta no mukui (The Pig's Retribution), a film set in the lavish natural scenery of Okinawa, inspired by the 1996 Akutagawa Prize-winning eponymous novel by Eiki Matayoshi. The film won the Don Quixote prize at Locarno International Film Festival in 1999.

He won the award for Best Screenplay at the 11th Yokohama Film Festival for A Sign Days.

As an actor, he appeared in Nagisa Oshima's 1999 film Taboo. He is the current president of the Directors Guild of Japan.   

Filmography

Acting (7)

6.0
1999
Tabooas Isami Kondo
6.6
1995
7.2
1994
N45゜as Bearded man
7.0
1993
All Under the Moonas Section Chief
6.9
—
Empire of Passion: On the Setas Self (Assistant Director for "Empire of Passion")

Production & Directing (43)

2009
KamuiDirector
6.1
2009
KamuiScreenplay
6.1
2007
SooDirector
6.5
2007
SooWriter
6.5
2004
6.6
2004
Blood and BonesScreenplay
6.6
2002
Doing TimeDirector
5.6
2002
5.6
5.6
1999
5.6
1998
Dog RaceDirector
8.0
1998
Dog RaceWriter
8.0
1995
MARKSScreenplay
6.0
1995
MARKSDirector
6.0
1993
6.9
1993
6.9
1991
Burning DogDirector
7.0
1989
Via OkinawaDirector
7.0
8.0
1986
Love StoryDirector
8.0
1983
DansenDirector
1.0
1983
Sexual CrimeDirector
5.0
1980
The Night of Martial LawAssistant Director
1980
不良少年Assistant Director
1979
No Grave for UsAssistant Director
6.3
1978
The Killing GameAssistant Director
7.5
1978
The Most Dangerous GameAssistant Director
6.3
1977
5.5
1976
In the Realm of the SensesAssistant Director
6.6