For some time now, controversy has been around the life of Naomi Kawase, who is considered one of the most recognized filmmakers in Japan. There are several complaints that surround her about abuse and aggression against her team. Now, all of them have materialized in the form of a complaint, as some specialized Hollywood media have advanced this Wednesday.
The director has been accused of abusing her film crew and even attacking several of her workers since at least 2015, the date on which different employees of her production company Kumie alleged intimidation by the Japanese.
In May 2019, an assistant director claimed that during the recording of True Mothers, Kawase kicked him in the stomach after telling him that a take had to be retaken. After that incident, according to the Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun, the entire photography team of said production decided to resign from their respective positions.
However, this weekly had previously documented a similar incident that occurred in October 2015, when Kawase allegedly punched a member of his team several times during a meeting at the production company's headquarters.
The employee, who left the company, came to show his bruised face. However, the news did not go further, since the same victim issued a statement informing of a friendly resolution between the parties.
Wrapped in this controversy, the director premiered the first part of her Olympic documentary, Official Film of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Side A, on Friday, which has had a very limited reception by the public.
Kawase won the Camera d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, making her the youngest filmmaker to do so.
