Tatsumi Kumashiro

Born in 1927 in Japan, Kumashiro Tatsumi studies medicine, then Western literature. In 1952, he becomes an assistant director at Shochiku and directs his first films there, including Kaburitsuki jinsei (1968). In 1972, the start of the "roman porno" gives him the opportunity to tackle subjects rarely dealt with in Japanese cinema, such as prostitutes, strippers, illegal workers and sexual orgasm. In this vein, he directs Ichijo's Wet Lust (1972), Street of Joy (1974), an adaptation of Kenji Mizoguchi's Street of Shame (1956), and The Woman with Red Hair (1979). In 1983, Appassionata is selected for Cannes out of competition. Kumashiro Tatsumi dies in Tokyo in 1995 after having made more than 30 films.

Locarno Festival