Private Project

Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director

“Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director” is a documentary film that delves into the life and cinematic career of one of Japan’s most prolific directors: Ishiro Honda.

The film will spotlight Honda’s filmography from both a historical and personal perspective, exploring his contributions to the Japanese film industry and his firsthand experiences of war, from which he barely survived. It will also delve into his profound feelings regarding the atomic bomb, a subject that became an obsession for him and was frequently reflected in his films.

The documentary will analyze Honda’s body of work through interviews with individuals who had the privilege of collaborating with him, as well as experts on Honda’s films from both Japan and the Western world.

Furthermore, the film will uncover Honda’s friendship and professional relationship with director Akira Kurosawa.

  • Jonathan Bellés
    Director
  • Jonathan Bellés
    Producer
  • Ségolène Lacourte
    Director of Photography
  • Óscar Rivero
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 8 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Spain
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan, United States
  • Language:
    English, Japanese, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Sitges Film Festival
    Sitges
    Spain
    October 4, 2024
    International Premiere
    Sitges Documenta
Director Biography - Jonathan Bellés

Jonathan Bellés (Spain, 1988) holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and is a Ph.D. in Japanese Sci-Fi Films and Kaijû Eiga at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. He also accomplished two master’s degrees: one in artistic production at the same university and another one in film production at the Masterschool Documentary Campus.
Over the last 10 years, Bellés has developed his filmmaking skills through his work on several productions, from short films such as L’ennèagramme (2011) and Ateneo (2016) to documentaries like René Magritte: drôle de bonhomme (2010) and The Dawn of Kaijû Eiga (2019), a documentary about the origins of the monster Godzilla.
He has produced videos for many clients, travelling to countries like France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Japan.
Nowadays, he is based in Madrid and works as a Producer and Filmmaker for a creative agency. Through his work he creates audiovisual content for international companies.
Furthermore, he is producing a new documentary film about Japanese Director Ishiro Honda entitled Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director.

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