Shinji Aoyama, the Japanese film director, writer, and composer most known for his work on the film "Eureka," died March 21 in Tokyo after a battle with esophageal cancer, he was 57 years old

According to Variety, Shinji Aoyama, the Japanese film director, writer, and composer most known for his work on the film "Eureka," which earned him two awards at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, died March 21 in Tokyo after a battle with esophageal cancer, according to local sources. He was 57 years old.

When Aoyama's film "Eureka" premiered at Cannes, he generated quite a stir in the world cinema scene. Based on a true story, the film was a black-and-white drama about the aftermath of a bus hijacking that received the FIPRESCI and Ecumenical Jury prizes.

"Eureka" catapulted Aoyama to the forefront of a new generation of Japanese filmmakers, and he returned to the festival with "Desert Moon" in 2001 and "Eri Eri Rema Sabakutani" in 2005.