Kyoto Dialogue

Speakers: Koreeda Hirokazu and Kawamura Genki

Welcoming filmmakers Hirokazu Kore-eda and Genki Kawamura, who have collaborated on works including the Netflix series The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, set in Kyoto’s geisha districts, and the film Monster, this talk explores the possibilities of creative expression in the coming era through the perspectives of these two creators, who have continued to question human daily life and dignity in a rapidly changing society.
Drawing on anecdotes from the making of their works in Kyoto, a city in the midst of transformation, we will explore the background behind works capable of moving people’s hearts and driving social change.
　

Speakers:
Koreeda Hirokazu (Film Director)
Kawamura Genki (Filmmaker / Author)

Speaker’s Profiles
　

Koreeda Hirokazu

Born in Tokyo in 1962. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined TV Man Union, where he primarily directed documentary television programs. He made his feature directorial debut in 1995 with Maborosi.
His 2018 film Shoplifters won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. In 2023, Monster was screened at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where Yuji Sakamoto was awarded Best Screenplay, and the film won the Queer Palm. In 2026, his work Sheep in a Box was selected in official competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, and his live-action film adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s acclaimed manga, Look Back, was released in theaters.

Website: https://www.bunbukubun.com/en/

Kawamura Genki

Born in Yokohama in 1979, he is a novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He has produced films including Confessions, Villain, Your Name., and Monster. His debut novel, If Cats Disappeared from the World, has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, followed by works such as April, Come She Will and The Horse and I. Based on his own novel, A Hundred Flowers, which he wrote and directed, won him the Best Director Award at the 70th San Sebastián International Film Festival. His second directorial feature, Exit 8, released last year, was officially selected for the 78th Cannes Film Festival, and the film grossed ¥5.1 billion in Japan and attracted more than five million viewers worldwide.

Website: https://genkikawamura.com/