| Sachi Hamano | |
| Birth Name: | Sachiko Suzuki |
| Birth Date: | 19 March 1948 |
| Birth Place: | Tokushima Prefecture, Japan |
| Occupation: | Film director |
| Yearsactive: | 1971 - present |
| Website: | http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~tantan-s/ |
a.k.a. and (born March 19, 1948), is a Japanese film director. She is the most prolific and written-about female pink film director.[1]
Sachi Hamano was born as Sachiko Suzuki in Tokushima Prefecture on March 19, 1948.[1] While in high school, Hamano decided she wanted to become a film director.[2] She studied photography for a while in college in Tokyo, then quit to work in film.[1]
"In my 30 years of making porn films, I've always wanted to present them from a woman's perspective."
-- Sachi Hamano[3]
Though the film industry was male-dominated and reluctant to hire a female director, Hamano was able to begin working as an assistant director at independent studios beginning in 1968.[2] Early in her career, at the advice of film producers, Hamano dropped the feminine "ko" ending from her name, Sachiko.[1] She has also used the name Chise Matoba for directing credits.[4] She worked for a while at Kōji Wakamatsu's Wakamatsu Pro, then for other major pink film directors including Genji Nakamura.[1] She made her debut as a director in 1971, with Million Film in (released 1972).[1] [2] [5]
With the goal of making films from a woman's perspective, in 1984, Hamano founded her own film production company, Tantansha.[2] As a producer and director, she has released over 300 films.[2] For ENK, Hamano filmed the 1990 gay pink film Blazing Men.[6] Her 1997 film, Whore Hospital was given Honorable Mention at the Pink Grand Prix.[7] In 1998, with the financial support of over 12,000 donations from women throughout Japan, she made the film,, based on the life and work of the female author, Midori Osaki.[2] The film was given the Amari Hayashi Prize at the 2000 Japanese Independent Film Festival.[8]
In 2001 she filmed Lily Festival (2001), based on Hoko Momotani's novel about sexuality among senior citizens.[2] The film was given the Best Feature Film award at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in 2003.[9] [10] In 2006, Hamano returned to Midori Osaki, filming The Cricket Girl, based on one of Osaki's novels.[2] Hamano published her autobiography, When a Woman Makes a Film in 2005.[11]