Kōichi Saitō
Kōichi Saitō (斎藤 耕一 Saitō Kōichi, 3 February 1929 – 28 November 2009) was a Japanese film director and photographer. Born in Tokyo, Saitō started studying at Rikkyo University but ended up graduating from the Tokyo College of Photography (currently Tokyo Polytechnic University). He was initially a movie stills photographer at Nikkatsu before launching his own production company, Saito Productions, and directing his first film, Tsubuyaki no Jō, "a low-budget, independent film with a visual flair that earned comparisons with Claude Lelouch and with Richard Lester’s Beatles films, including A Hard Day’s Night". Some of his first films were youth movies featuring Group Sounds music. He came to prominence in the early 1970s with a series of movies about young people escaping to or searching for their identity in the countryside. He won the best director award at the 1972 Mainichi Film Awards. His Tsugaru jongarabushi was selected the best film of 1973 in the Kinema Junpo poll of critics. Saitō continued directing into his seventies and also made some documentaries. He was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun (4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette) in 2000.
Little Snack
(Director)
Frozen River
(Director)
Jesus is My Boss
(Director)
Jesus is My Boss
(Writer)
Tsugaru Folksong
(Director)
Only on Mondays
(Writer)
Secret Flower
(First Assistant Director)
Ambition in The Mirror
(Assistant Director)
The Rendezvous
(Director)
Journey Into Solitude
(Director)
The Adventures of Kosuke Kindaichi
(Writer)
Whispering Joe
(Director)
Whispering Joe
(Writer)
Whispering Joe
(Director of Photography)
Shadow of Deception
(Director)
The Homeless
(Director)
The S.S. Happiness Sets Sail
(Director)
Onigiri: Arcadia monogatari
(Director)
Onigiri: Arcadia monogatari
(Writer)
Hotel Rose
(Director)
Bokyo
(Director)
Ningen no sabaku
(Director)
The Blue Mountains '88
(Director)
Seasonal Wind
(Director)
The Story of Yumeji Takehisa: In Love
(Director)
Someday, Somewhere
(Director)
Someday, Somewhere
(Screenplay)
Kigeki: koko kara hajimaru monogatari
(Director)
Kigeki: Hanayome sensô
(Director)
Kigeki: Hanayome sensô
(Screenplay)
Memai
(Director)
Tabiji: ofukuro-san yori
(Director)
Tabiji: ofukuro-san yori
(Screenplay)
The Wonderful Ones
(Director)
The Wonderful Ones
(Director of Photography)
The Sea Doesn't Look Back
(Director)
Waterfront Blues
(Director)
Dear Tomorrow
(Director)
Dear Tomorrow
(Screenplay)
Eight Hours of Terror
(Original Story)
Second Chance
(Director)
Flora on the Sand
(Still Photographer)
Rainbow Over Paris
(Screenplay)
Rainbow Over Paris
(Director)
The School Cap
(Writer)
Falling Blossoms
(Screenplay)
Aspiration
(Director)
A Man's World
(Original Story)
Invitation from the Beach
(Director)
Invitation from the Beach
(Novel)
Invitation from the Beach
(Screenplay)
Fallen Leaves and Sweet Memories
(Director)
Fallen Leaves and Sweet Memories
(Screenplay)
Fallen Leaves and Sweet Memories
(Music)
Lemon in the Rainbow
(Director)
Tsugaru Folksong
(Screenplay)
YaYaBaka Yuttari-San
(Director)
Representative Director Detective
(Director)