urban versus rural life

His neorealist masterpieces like 'Bicycle Thieves' and 'Umberto D.' capture the stark contrast between urban poverty and rural displacement in post-war Italy.

Films like 'Still Walking' and 'Nobody Knows' explore the tension between rural family traditions and urban isolation in contemporary Japan.

His socially conscious films such as 'Kes' and 'I, Daniel Blake' persistently examine rural/working-class struggles against urban economic systems.