Hiroko Kumagai
熊谷博子
Born in Tokyo in 1951. She began directing television documentaries for Nippon Audio-Visual Productions, on such themes as war, drugs, and drug poisoning. Directed The Return of All A-Bomb Films to the Japanese in 1982. Turned freelance as a documentary journalist in 1985 and has since directed more than 50 TV documentaries. She co-directed, with Noriaki Tsuchimoto, Afghan Spring (1989), about life in war-torn Afghanistan. A Tale of Two Neighborhoods—From Ottensen to Mukojima (1995) was based on her own experiences of child-rearing. Her Woman Make Films (2004), about the struggles of female directors in Japan, and other films have been featured at he annual Tokyo International Women’s Film Festival.
Total running time: Approx. 103 minutes. / color