Director O Mipo worked as a script supervisor after a stint at Obayashi Nobuhiko’s production company, before making her feature directorial debut in 2006 with The Sakai’s Happiness. In 2014, her film The Light Shines Only There won Best Director at the Montreal World Film Festival and went on to sweep 60 awards both in Japan and internationally. Following a hiatus for childbirth and childcare, she returned to feature filmmaking in 2024 with box-office draw Living in Two Worlds. Her latest film, How Dare You? has earned high praise at home and abroad for its vivid portrayal of children’s raw vitality.
From Tokyo International Film Festival 2026, No. 39
