Teinosuke Kinugasa (1896-1982) was an influential Japanese film director and screenwriter, a key figure in the transition of Japanese cinema from the silent to the sound era. He began his career in film as an *onnagata*, an actor specializing in female roles, an experience that influenced his visual sensibility. In the 1920s, he became one of the leading exponents of the cinematic avant-garde with experimental works such as *A Page of Madness* (*Kurutta Ippeiji*, 1926) and *Jūjiro* (1928), notable for their expressionist style and innovative editing. His international fame came in the post-war period with the Technicolor film *Gate of Hell* (*Jigokumon*, 1953). This work, a lavish historical drama, achieved extraordinary success, winning the Palme d'Or at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival and an Honorary Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, contributing decisively to the introduction of Japanese cinema to the West. His long and prolific career spanned various genres, leaving an indelible mark on the history of world cinema.