Featured art by Bhernn Saenz. Images and still courtesy of 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival.
HONG KONG — In a recent announcement, celebrated Japanese contemporary actress Ando Sakura, is set to grace the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF49). This gives the Hong Kong audience the unique opportunity to meet the artist in person and witness her exceptional performance in her latest film, Bad Lands, alongside three seminal works on the big screen.
Born in Tokyo, she began her acting career in 2006 with a supporting role in A Long Walk, directed by her father, Okuda Eiji. Ando then garnered widespread acclaim for her performance in her sister Ando Momoko’s film 0.5mm, a story crafted to showcase her remarkable talent. Renowned for her nuanced and powerful portrayals, she has received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Blue Ribbon Awards and Asian Film Awards. She was ranked eighth on Kinema Junpo’s list of Japan’s all-time top 100 actresses, alongside the legendary Tanaka Kinuyo.
Ando Sakura. Image courtesy of HKIFF49.
A talented and multifaceted performer, Ando has long had a diverse career, yet she is best known for her portrayal of complex, independent, and empowered women. From a rogue caretaker in 0.5mm to a hapless shut-in in 100 Yen Love, a poor but compassionate mother in Shoplifters.
In 2023, as a mischievous outlaw in Bad Lands, Ando infuses all her characters with a profound sense of empathy and understanding. She embodies the marginalized and underprivileged, breathing life into every role she takes on, characterized heavily by an unwavering spirit in the face of adversity and the everyday challenges of life.
Ando Sakura’s works featured in HKIFF49:
Bad Lands (2023) by Harada Masato
Production still courtesy of HKIFF49.
0.5mm (2014) by Ando Momoko
Production still courtesy of HKIFF49.
100 Yen Love (2014) by Take Masaharu
Production still courtesy of HKIFF49.
Shoplifters (2018) by Kore-eda Hirokazu
Production still courtesy of HKIFF49.
In one of her most iconic performances, as a disheveled underachiever turned assertive boxer in 100 Yen Love, the multi-awarded actress convincingly portrayed both extremes, undergoing professional boxing training and a remarkable physical transformation. Her profoundly moving performance in Shoplifters also left a lasting impression on director Kore-eda Hirokazu and Cate Blanchett, the Cannes Jury President in 2018.
Blanchett remarks, “If there is a crying scene in a film we make in the future, you can think of it as imitating Ando Sakura.” Her delicate sensitivity, consummate control, and unwavering dedication to her characters have solidified her status as a monumental talent in the acting world.”
HKIFF49 will run for 12 days, from April 10 to 21 2025.
Don't Miss
