Nagisa Ōshima

March 31, 1932 — Okayama, Japan

Nagisa Ōshima (大島 渚, Ōshima Nagisa; 31 March 1932 – 15 January 2013) was a Japanese filmmaker, writer, and left-wing activist best known for his fiction feature films, of which he directed 23 in a career spanning from 1959 to 1999. He is often regarded as one of the greatest Japanese directors of all time, and as one of the most important figures of the Japanese New Wave, alongside Shōhei Imamura. His filmmaking style bold, innovative and provocative, common themes include youthful rebellion, class and racial discrimination, and taboo sexuality.