Sion Sono

"I try not to listen to comments about my films. I don't want to be influenced by them." Sion Sono is a Japanese director, screenwriter, poet, and actor, known for his unique and provocative style. He was part of a generation of filmmakers who appropriated the sonic and rhythmic possibilities of montage and broke the rules of narrative cinema. In 1990, Sono co-wrote, directed and starred in his first feature film, Bicycle Sighs (Jitensha Toiki). His films combine elements of horror, drama, and surrealism, dealing with dark and controversial themes. In his work, he sought to portray what Japan hides from the world, revealing the flaws of the system and addressing the sexual and sentimental repression to which the Japanese are subjected. With a strong influence of David Lynch and Lars von Trier, he took to the limit the common sense of his characters who find themselves in a hopeless environment. Some of his most famous films are: Suicide Club (2001), a disturbing thriller about a mass suicide in Japan; Strange Circus (2005); Love Exposure (2008); Cold Fish (2010), a thriller based on true events about a man who gets involved with a serial killer; and Guilty of Romance (2011). His films have been both acclaimed and criticized for their transgressive nature.