Kim Longinotto

Longinotto studied camera and directing at England’s National Film School, where she made PRIDE OF PLACE, a critical look at her boarding school, and THEATRE GIRLS, documenting a hostel for homeless women. 

Her first film in Japan was EAT THE KIMONO, about the controversial feminist performer Hanayagi Genshu; HIDDEN FACES, the internationally acclaimed, documentary about Egyptian women followed, then THE GOOD WIFE OF TOKYO which explores women, love and marriage in Japanese society. Next Longinotto directed DREAM GIRLS, a BBC- produced documentary of the spectacular Japanese musical theatre company, the Tararazuka revue; and SHINJUKU BOYS, about three Tokyo women who live as men. Next, she made ROCK WIVES for Channel 4 about the wives and girlfriends of rock stars, followed by DIVORCE IRANIAN STYLE, set in a Family law court in Tehran about women and divorce in Iran. She then made two short films for the BEST FRIENDS series on Channel 4: STEVE & DAVE – about two friends who work as a drag act and ROB & CHRIS about two homeless young men. Then GAEA GIRLS about a young girl’s struggle to become a professional wrestler. RUNAWAY is set in a refuge for girls in Tehran. Her film THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET, about young girls in Kenya challenging the tradition of female circumcision premiered domestically at Sundance in 2003. Her next film SISTERS IN LAW, set in Kumba, Cameroon, premiered and won two prizes at Cannes. After that, HOLD ME TIGHT, LET ME GO was set in an Oxford school for disturbed children. The next film, ROUGH AUNTIES is about a group of brave women based in Durban, South Africa. PINK SARIS set in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India followed. Her next film, SALMA, was set in Tamil Nadu, India. LOVE IS ALL an archive film tracing love in the UK from 1898 to 2014 followed. DREAMCATCHER premiered at Sundance and won the Best Director award. SHOOTING THE MAFIA Premiered at Sundance and Berlin. The film has already secured theatrical distribution in the USA (Cohen Media), Australia, Italy, Sweden, Slovenia, Germany, Spain and France. She is currently finishing a film about a Jamaican-born musician now based in the UK.