Kore-eda Hirokazu Explains Why He Never Films Children Crying – and What Ken Loach and Hou Hsiao-hsien Taught Him

Japanese auteur Kore-eda Hirokazu, whose films are known for their natural performances from child actors, said there is one thing he has decided never to put on screen: a child crying. “It’s not that I can’t, or that it’s difficult. I don’t shoot it,” the Japanese director said at an In Conversation event at the […] Kore-eda Hirokazu explains why he never films children crying, the Ken Loach lesson he follows, and Hou Hsiao-hsien’s ‘Maborosi’ critique. Japanese auteur Kore-eda Hirokazu, whose films are known for their natural performances from child actors, said there is one thing he has decided never to put on screen: a child crying.

“It’s not that I can’t, or that it’s difficult. I don’t shoot it,” the Japanese director said at an In Conversation event at the the Singapore International Film Festival on Saturday. “The ideal is that after viewers finish watching, they remember that child’s smile and cry.” The festival presented Kore-eda with its Cinema Honorary Award at the National Museum of Singapore before an onstage conversation with festival chair Boo Junfeng, the filmmaker behind “Apprentice.” Introduced in 2014, the award is the festival’s top honor and recognizes lasting contributions to Asian cinema. Previous recipients include