Keiichi Hara joined studio Shin-ei Animation in 1982, where he worked extensively on popular family TV shows, such as Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan. His first directorial effort was Summer Days with Coo (2007),which earned Hara international recognition as an auteur filmmaker, particularly in France. This reputation was confirmed in 2010 with his next directorial effort, Colorful. Hara's directing is highly praised for the meticulous representation of interaction between characters, and not surprisingly, he admires classic Japanese filmmakers such as Yasujiro Ozu and Keisuke Kinoshita. In 2015 he was awarded with the Anime d'or for his achievements in the animation industry at the Tokyo Anime Awards 2015. His latest directorial effort, Miss Hokusai, depicts a troubled family relationship between ukiyo-e master Hokusai and his little-known yet highly talented daughter O-Ei.
Mill Valley Film Festival
