JAPAN’S KIYOSHI KUROSAWA WINS BEST DIRECTOR PLUM IN VENICE FILMFEST

Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa won the best director award on Saturday at the Venice International Film Festival, becoming the first Japanese director to take the award in 17 years, Kyodo news agency reported on September 13, 2020. 

"Wife of a Spy" (Spy no Tsuma) follows the story of a couple in 1940 in the western Japan city of Kobe before the outbreak of World War II. A man accidentally stumbles upon a state secret and tries to bring it to light, while his wife takes action to ensure his safety. 

Actress Cate Blanchett, who headed the jury, told a press conference that selection of the Silver Lion winner had been a "difficult decision to make" but that the choice of Kurosawa was "undeniable in that final assessment." 

"It is a big surprise. I am feeling too happy for words," Kurosawa, 65, said in a video message sent to the festival. "I never dreamed I would receive such a pleasant present at my age. I think I did well to continue with filmmaking for a long time." Kurosawa became the third Japanese director to win a Silver Lion. He followed Takeshi Kitano in 2003 for "Zatoichi" and Kenji Mizoguchi in 1956 for "The Life of Oharu" (Saikaku Ichidai Onna).

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