Kaori ODA
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Born in Osaka (Japan), 1987. Filmmaker/Artist.
Through images and sounds, ODA’s works explore the memories of human beings.


ODA lived in Sarajevo for three years from 2013 and completed the Doctor of Liberal Arts in filmmaking under the supervision of Bela Tarr in 2016. 
ODA is a recipient of Grants for Overseas Study by Young Artists of Pola Art Foundation.

The first feature, Aragane (2015) shot in a Bosnian coal mine, had its World Premiere at YAMAGATA International Film Festival and received Special Mention. The film has been screened at festivals such as Doclisboa, Mar del Plata IFF, Sarajevo FF, Taiwan International Documentary FF, and more. 

​The second feature, Toward A Common Tenderness (2017) a poetic film research, had its World Premiere at DOK Leipzig and the third feature, TS’ONOT/Cenote (2019) shot in underwater caves in Yucatan Mexico, was premiered in Bright Future section at International Film Festival Rotterdam.
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ODA received the Inaugural Nagisa Oshima Prize in 2020 and the new face award of Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts in 2021.

GAMA (2023), a mid-length film,  has been screened at MoMA DocFortnight, Cinéma du Réel and Cinéma de Brive (Jury SFCC de la Critique) and more.

The latest feature, Underground (2024) that explores subterranean spaces in Japan, had its World Premiere at Tokyo International Film Festival.