Ryuji Otsuka

Biography

Born in Tokyo, Japan. Came to Beijing in 2005 and finished his first directed narrative film Lingling's Garden. Afterwards, he has maintained his interest in discovering the changes in the Chinese society and personal lives. He is also keen in presenting the characters’ inner activities through images. As a Director of Photography, he participated in The Judge（Liu Jie, Venezia Orizzonti), The Warmth of Orange Peel (Huang Ji, Berlinale Generation), Egg and Stone (Huang Ji,Tiger Award Rotterdam IFF), When Night Falls (Ying Liang, Locarno Best Director). His films screened in international festivals such as Venice, Berlin, Lacorno and Rotterdam. In 2013, his documentary Trace (Hong Kong IFF, Documentary Competition) portrays a Chinese/Japanese family living under the Senkaku Islands dispute. In 2014, his second documentary Beijing Ants (Hotdocs), was about capitalism in modern China. He is a teacher of Lixianting Film School, participated at Berlinale Talents in 2015. In 2017, he co-directed feature film The Foolish Bird that won the Special Mention of the Generation 14plus international Jury at 67th Berlin International Film Festival.