Kichitaro Negishi (根岸吉太郎, Negishi Kichitarō) is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in Japan for their intelligence, Negishi has received little international recognition for his work. He has not been credited with a distinctive style but he has been called a subtle director who often elicits strong performances from his actors. He won the award for Best Director at the 3rd Yokohama Film Festival for Enrai and Crazy Fruit.
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Life and career
Early career - Nikkatsu
Negishi graduated from Waseda University in the Faculty of Theatre and Film Arts, and as with several other filmmakers of his generation, began his career directing Roman porno films for the Nikkatsu studio. He worked as assistant director on Toshiya Fujita's March 1978 Dangerous Liaisons (危険な関係, Kiken na kankei), based on the French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, but his debut as a director for Nikkatsu was with the June 1978 erotic thriller From Orion's Testimony: Formula For Murder. The young Negishi's success with this film was a factor in Nikkatsu's decision to focus more on projects emphasizing story.
