Born in 1947, Takeshi Kitano is a comedian, television presenter, author, actor and filmmaker who has become a cultural icon both in his own country and abroad. He is predominantly known in the West for his work as an actor and director on films including Battle Royale, Zatoichi and Hana-bi, the last of which won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival.
Kitano burst onto the scene as a director in 1989 with Violent Cop and quickly established himself as a filmmaker to watch. He continued within the yakuza genre with 1990's Boiling Point and with Sonatine, released three years later, he gained deserved international acclaim. More often known by his stage name 'Beat' Takeshi, Kitano has been described as the true successor to legendary director Akira Kurosawa, and it's hard to imageine greater praise than that.
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