Films A-Z

Yasujiro OZU, Japan

Born 1903; died 1963. He grew up in Tokyo
and went to school in Matsuzaka, where
he also worked as a teacher’s assistant in a
village school. In 1923, he began working
as an assistant cameraman for the film
company Shochiku. He later became an
assistant director, and in 1927 a director for
the company, which produced 51 of his 54
films. He began with comedies and moved on
to quiet dramas about families and society.
His minimalist, austere style has inspired
younger directors such as Wim Wenders and
A…