Dubbed the “queen of indies,” the single-named Nahana has appeared in nearly 60 films in her two-decade career, beginning with Sion Sono’s 2001 horror-thriller, “Suicide Club.”
Since her debut, she has worked with name directors such as frequent collaborator Ryuichi Hiroki and appeared in films that have screened at major festivals, including Takahisa Zeze’s four-hour epic “Heaven’s Story,” which won the FIPRESCI and NETPAC prizes at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. But her starring roles have usually been in low-budget indie films that get limited releases and little attention from the mass media.
Her chameleon-like ability to completely inhabit any role regardless of whether it’s in a light comedy or a serious drama and her willingness to push her limits (physical ones included) have made her an in-demand talent for both films and TV dramas in Japan.