Tomotaka Tasaka

Tomotaka Tasaka (田坂 具隆, Tasaka Tomotaka; 14 April 1902 – 17 October 1974) was a Japanese film director.

Tasaka Tomotaka
Born	(1902-04-14)14 April 1902 Hiroshima Prefecture
Died	17 October 1974(1974-10-17) (aged 72)
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Film director

Career

Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, he began working at Nikkatsu's Kyoto studio in 1924 and eventually came to prominence for a series of realist, humanist films made at Nikkatsu's Tamagawa studio in the late 1930s such as Robō no ishi and Mud and Soldiers, both of which starred Isamu Kosugi.^[1] His war film, Five Scouts, was screened in the competition at the 6th Venice International Film Festival.^[2]

Tasaka was a victim of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and spent many years recovering.^[1] He eventually resumed directing and won the best director prize at the 1958 Blue Ribbon Awards for A Slope in the Sun, which starred Yūjirō Ishihara.^[3]

His brother, Katsuhiko Tasaka, was also a film director, and his wife, Hisako Takihana, was an actress.

Selected filmography

• Five Scouts (五人の斥候兵, Gonin no sekkōhei) (1938)
• Robō no ishi (路傍の石) (1938)
• Mud and Soldiers (土と兵隊, Tsuchi to heitai) (1939)
• The Maid's Kid (女中ッ子, Jochūkko) (1955)
• The Baby Carriage (乳母車, Ubaguruma) (1956)
• This Day's Life (今日のいのち Kyō no inochi) (1957)
• A Slope in the Sun (陽のあたる坂道, Hi no ataru sakamichi) (1958)
• Lake of Tears (湖の琴, Mizuumi no Kin) (1966)