14 March 2025 (Hong Kong) – Ando Sakura, one of Japan’s most celebrated contemporary actresses, will grace the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF49). The Hong Kong audience will have the unique opportunity to meet the star in person and witness her exceptional performance in her latest film, Bad Lands, alongside three seminal works on the big screen.
Born in Tokyo, Ando began her acting career in 2006 with a supporting role in A Long Walk, directed by her father, Okuda Eiji. She garnered widespread acclaim for her performance in her sister Ando Momoko’s film 0.5mm, a story crafted to showcase her remarkable talent. Renowned for her nuanced and powerful portrayals, Ando has received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Blue Ribbon Awards and Asian Film Awards. She was ranked eighth on Kinema Junpo’s list of Japan’s all-time top 100 actresses, alongside the legendary Tanaka Kinuyo.
A talented and multifaceted performer, Ando has had a diverse career, yet she is best known for her portrayal of complex, independent, and empowered women. From a rogue caretaker in 0.5mm to a hapless shut-in in 100 Yen Love, a poor but compassionate mother in Shoplifters, and a mischievous outlaw in Bad Lands, Ando infuses all her characters with a profound sense of empathy and understanding. She embodies the marginalised and underprivileged, breathing life into every role she takes on, characterised by an unwavering spirit in the face of adversity and the everyday challenges of life.
In one of her most iconic performances, as a dishevelled underachiever turned assertive boxer in 100 Yen Love, Ando convincingly portrayed both extremes, undergoing professional boxing training and a remarkable physical transformation. Her profoundly moving performance in Shoplifters left a lasting impression on director Kore-eda Hirokazu and Cate Blanchett, the Cannes Jury President in 2018, who remarked: “If there is a crying scene in a film we make in the future, you can think of it as imitating Ando Sakura.” Her delicate sensitivity, consummate control, and unwavering dedication to her characters have solidified her status as a monumental talent in the acting world.
HKIFF49 will run for 12 days, from 10 to 21 April 2025. The festival will announce its complete programme on 17 March.
Ando Sakura’s works featured in HKIFF49:
- 0.5mm (2014) by Ando Momoko
- 100 Yen Love (2014) by Take Masaharu
- Shoplifters (2018) by Kore-eda Hirokazu
- Bad Lands (2023) by Harada Masato
