Nao Yoshigai

Born in 1987 in Japan, Nao Yoshigai is a filmmaker, dancer and choreographer. Her film is "dancing." She choreographs image and sound for time to focus on "watching and listening" as a motion picture, based on physical sense and phenomena which are unique for living things. ’Grand Bouquet’ depicting a young woman’s confrontation in the society is selected to the Directors’ Fortnight in 2019.

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27'33'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | documentary, experimental

Originally, the plan was for Indian and Japanese dancers to collaborate on a dance piece in India, but the Corona vortex made travel difficult, so an attempt was made to see if the very presence of a Japanese dancer (Ryu Suzuki) could be sent to India in the form of a video.

62'49'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | documentary, experimental, fiction

Shiretoko Peninsula is a special place located in the northernmost part of Japan where rare, wild animals coexist with humans and drift ice reaches its coast touching the Sea of Okhotsk in winter. But for some reason, there is very little snow in the winter of 2020. The drift ice hasn’t appeared yet, either.

2022 International Film Festival Rotterdam

2022 Ann Arbor Film Festival - Lawrence Kasdan Award for Best Narrative Film

13'58'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | documentary, experimental

In 2018 in Sendagi, an old town in Tokyo under urban development toward the Olympic Games. The present scenery might soon disappear. I went out by bicycle with my video camera. This is a “life road-movie documentary."

30'00'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | drama, fantasy, roadmovie

Ayano tries to eat a pear while Satoko grows pears at the farm. How did the pears grow? How will the pears be eaten? In their imaginations, they talk to each other, their voices become a song, and their movements become a dance that melds together.

14'28'' | Japan | color | 2.35 | action, horror, Si-Fi

A helpless woman confronts a "black object" with a power greater than hers. The "black object" shoots her questions. The woman has answers to these questions, but can't say them aloud. She feels up against the wall, and begins to throw up beautiful colorful flowers instead of speaking.

2019 Cannes Directors' Fortnight

2019 San Diego Asian Film Festival - Best International Short

8'47'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | fantasy, experimental, danse

This is a dance film taking place by a lakeside, where the rain never stops and bodies are entrusted to the water, air and nature.

9''04'' | color | 1.78 | fantasy, experimental, fiction

The story takes place in Manazuru, a small coastal town in Kanagawa, Japan. Through interviews with locals and the time spent there, I collected various anecdotes into this City Cycling Fantasy Film.

12'12'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | documentary, experimental, fiction

A breathing fantasy inspired by "Seiza sha", a house which really exists in Kyoto."Seiza" means the mind and body healing method initiated by Torajiro Okada in 1910.

37'11'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | action, fantasy, horror

There is a wooden one-story house. In this tiny house, four dancer nymphs are living besides Satoko(Singer), a human being. They are absorbed in Satoko’s music and having a comfortable life. But one day, dancer nymphs found by chance that another little girl was living in the house...

6'49'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | documentary, experimental, danse

February,2014 at Akiyoshidai International Art Village. Confusing as a spring, stink bug came to the warm room and died away. I often superimposed myself and this stink bug, putting the corpse into tissues and dumping, said to them, “Yes, I know, but still you want to go out.”

9'57' | Japan | color | 1.78 | action, fantasy, tourism

A girl is riding a bicycle handed down from her mother around there. The roads she is riding a bicycle on are in Nasu Heights, Tochigi Prefecture. What does she feel and see in the heights with comfortable winds blowing on early summer days?

4'33'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | fantasy, MV, experimental

I feel an urge to pluck my body hair several times a day. And I feel like gazing at the root of my body hair like touching my hair or scratching an itchy place. It's a desire I have had since my childhood.

3'18'' | Japan | color | 1.78 | action, fantasy, experimental

A morning ritual performed by two dancers. We don't have to do this ritual, but I call it a morning rule because it helps me to start my day smoothly. Early morning dance in early June, dazzling with fresh greenery.