Kurosawa Hopes Award Leads To New Challenges


Kurosawa hopes award leads to new challenges

Japanese film director Kurosawa Kiyoshi says he hopes winning the best director award at the Venice International Film Festival for "Wife of a Spy" will give him a chance to take on new challenges.

Kurosawa spoke to NHK online after becoming the first Japanese person to win the award in 17 years.

He said the achievement has yet to sink in because he wasn't physically in Venice when the announcement was made.

He said he was asleep when the award ceremony was held, and surprised when he woke to find many email messages telling him he had won.

Kurosawa said he is glad to share the joy with the staff and the cast of the film.

Kurosawa said he thought the film, set in 1940s Japan, may be hard for foreign audiences to understand without deep knowledge of the era. But he believes that emotions are universal, and foreign audiences will embrace the film.

He said he hopes that winning the award will allow him to make films with diverse themes.

Kurosawa said he treasures his career so far, but hopes the award gives him a chance to explore new horizons.