Shinji Sōmai
13 January 1948 – 9 September 2001 was a Japanese film director. He directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000 and was noted for his work within seishun-eiga, which include films such as the successful Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) and critically acclaimed Typhoon Club (1985).
Also recorded as Shinji Somai · Shinji Soumai · Sōmai Shinji · Somai Shinji
Shinji Sōmai
- Name
- Shinji Sōmai
- Born
- 13 January 1948
- Birthplace
- Morioka, Iwate, Japan
- Died
- 9 September 2001
- Place of death
- Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Occupation
- Film director
- Nationality
- Japan
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13 January 1948 – 9 September 2001 was a Japanese film director. He directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000 and was noted for his work within seishun-eiga, which include films such as the successful Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) and critically acclaimed Typhoon Club (1985).
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Shinji Sōmai • Born — 13 January 1948 • Birthplace — Morioka, Iwate, Japan • Died — 9 September 2001 • Place of death — Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan • Occupation — Film director • Years Active — 1980–2000
Career and style
Career and style
The most recognizable trademark of Somai is the use of long takes, creating a kind of rupture between reality and the inner emotions of the characters. The first 15 minutes of Lost Chapter of Snow (1985) is probably the best crafted long take of his career. His film Moving was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. His 1998 film, Wait and See, won the FIPRESCI prize at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival in 1999. The Edinburgh International Film Festival artistic director Chris Fujiwara noted that American film director Nicholas Ray and French film director Jean Vigo shared Somai's sensibilities.
Filmography
Filmography
• Tonda Couple (1980) • Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) • P.P. Rider (1983) • The Catch (1983) • Love Hotel (1985) • Typhoon Club (1985) • Lost Chapter of Snow: Passion (1985) • Luminous Woman (1987) • Tokyo Heaven (1990) • Moving (1993) • The Friends (1994) • Wait and See (1998) • Kaza-hana (2000)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1948–2001
The full dated record · 3 entries
1948
Shinji Sōmai was born in 1948.
1983
水野きみこ こわいけど、ヴァージン。(1983) Shinji Sōmai is digitised and catalogued by Internet Archive.
2001
Shinji Sōmai died at Isehara.
Legacy
Somai has been cited as one of the most important Japanese directors of not only his generation, but of Japanese cinema as a whole. His influence has been cited by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Hirokazu Kore-eda as well as critic and theorist Shigehiko Hasumi. Japan Society presented the first North American retrospective of his work in 2023, which included the world premiere of Typhoon Clubs 4K restoration. In 2024, Japan Society would present Somai's Moving with lead actress Tomoko Tabata.
Primary material
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reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q45253: Shinji Sōmai
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Shinji Sōmai”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- VIAF cluster 23234924 for Shinji Sōmai, aggregating national library name authorities.
General reference · OCLC
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Enokido Kōji, "Eiga no hito, Sōmai Shinji", in Enokido Kōji (Ed.) Sōryoku Sōmai Shinji tokushū, Eigageijutsu, n° 401, 2002, p. 12.
- 2.Sōmai Shinji, Nihon eiga wo sasaeru hitto to atarashii sainō, in Aoki Shinya (Ed.), Shineasuto Sōmai Shinji, Kinema junpō-sha, 2011, p. 54.
- 3.Ryū Murakami. Souvenir de Sōmai Shinji. TScHum - Traductions Sciences Humaines. 2022-04-20.
- 4.Le Mont Gassan de Shinji Sômai. 3continents.com.
- 5.Festival des 3 Continents 1986. 3continents.com. 2000.
- 6.prix Kinema Junpō - (1993年). kinenote.com.
- 7.49th Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival. fipresci.org.
- 8.prix Kinema Junpō - (1999年). kinenote.com.
- 9.cérémonie des Japan Academy Prize - (2002年). www.japan-academy-prize.jp.
- 10.cérémonie des prix du film Mainichi - (2001年). mainichi.jp.
- 11.Typhoon Club. www.3continents.com.
- 12.1987 Compétition. www.3continents.com.
- 13.Event List / Edinburgh International Film Festival. edfilmfest.org.uk.
- 14.Intégrale Shinji Sômai. 3continents.com.
- 15.Mathieu Capel. Shinji Sômai, carnavalesque. cinematheque.fr.
- 16.Rétrospective Shinji Sōmai. mcjp.fr. 2025.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 1
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Shinji Sōmai is recorded as film director.
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