Sumiko Haneda
Biography
Born 1926 in Dalian, China, Sumiko Haneda graduated from Jiyu Gakuen, and joined Iwanami Productions at its founding. She has been involved in over eighty documentaries, starting with Women’s College in the Village (1957). After The Cherry Tree with Gray Blossoms (1977) she took to independent filmmaking, and has made over ten films including Ode to Mt. Hayachine (1982), How to Care for the Senile (1986), Getting Old without Anxiety (1990) and Woman Was the Sun—The Life of Hiratsuka Raicho (2001). She participated as a juror in the International Competition in YIDFF ’99.
Known For & Full Filmography2 Titles
Movie - 2002, 2h 15m • as Self
Devotion investigates the extremely complex and heirarchical relationships among a committed group of Japanese filmmakers who dedicated up to 30 years of their lives making films for one man-Ogawa Shinsuke. Members of Ogawa Pro filmed the student movement of the late 60's; the fight by farmers to save their land from government confiscaton for the Narita airport at Sanrizuka; and the village life of a small farming community, Magino Village, in northern Japan. These heartbreaking and sometimes funny stories have never been told on film before. Rare footage, stills, and diaries with interviews with Oshima Nagisa, Hara Kazuo and Robert Kramer make this historical inquiry visually exciting as well as valuable.
Movie - 2004, 2h 15m • as Self
An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.