# Kore-eda Hirokazu Explains Why He Never Films Children Crying – and What Ken Loach and Hou Hsiao-hsien Taught Him

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/kore-eda-hirokazu-explains-why-he-never-films-children-crying-and-what-ken-loach-and-hou-hsiao-hsien-taught-him/
- Published: 2026-10-24T08:40:11+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T09:09:42+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/kore-eda-hirokazu-why-never-films-children-crying-1236930180/
- Topics: Asia, Celebrity, Entertainment, Film, World

## Key points

- Kore-eda says he never films children crying.
- He adapts scripts and direction to each young actor.
- Lessons from Hou and Loach shaped his approach.

## Summary

Kore-eda Hirokazu says he has chosen never to film a child crying, hoping viewers will remember a child’s smile and tears rather than see distress on screen. At a Singapore International Film Festival conversation, he discussed how his approach to directing young actors has changed and why he adapts his methods to each child and film.

For “Shoplifters”, “The Truth” and “Broker”, he shaped dialogue around children’s own words, while he gave the young cast scripts for “Monster” because of its sensitive subject. He drew lessons from Hou Hsiao-hsien about responding to a location and letting children play naturally, and from Ken Loach about judging each situation afresh. Kore-eda said he avoids anger, rushing or lying to child actors, aiming for them to find the shoot enjoyable.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.