Gonza the Spearman

Masahiro Shinoda (篠田 正浩 Shinoda Masahiro, born March 9, 1931 in Gifu, Gifu, Japan) is a Japanese film director, originally associated with the Shochiku Studio, who came to prominence as part of the Japanese New Wave in the 1960s. He is married to the actress Shima Iwashita, who appears in several of his films, such as 1969's Double Suicide. His 1986 film Gonza the Spearman was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear for an outstanding artistic contribution. He won the 1991 Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year for Childhood Days. He retired from directing after the release of Spy Sorge in 2003, a biopic on the life of Richard Sorge.