Rikiya Imaizumi and Ryutaro Ninomiya: closer to real emotions in substantial films

Actor Ninomiya’s belief in acting

– Miyu Yoshimoto played a significant role, too. She is what Imaizumi described as a “grumpy protagonist.” She is reminiscent of Minori from another Ninomiya’s film, “Minori, On The Brink.”

Imaizumi: It’s a reversal from your usual Ninomiya works. In the past, the main character was frustrated, but in this work, everyone is frustrated with Shuhei, but Shuhei doesn’t know why. And he forgets more and more. This is new for a Ninomiya work! And it could be a story where the main character stands out in this structure.

Only I can identify with Ishida, a former classmate of the bike shop owner played by Yutaka Matsushige. There’s a different atmosphere around him than around his family and school. Just having Mitsuishi-san and Matsushige-san in the same frame would be enough to scare me as a director.

Ninomiya: That’s right. Until now, I have usually made films with people my age, so this was the first time I worked with veteran actors who are seasoned professionals with a hundred years of experience. I was nervous, but I learned a lot.

Imaizumi: Ninomiya is also active as an actor, so I am wondering where you, as a director, give the OK line for a play.

Ninomiya: That decision is just a sense of whether it is good or bad for the film, but sometimes it takes me a long time from the time I make a cut to the time I give the OK or retake. Hiranami-san said to me, “I have never seen a director like you before” (laughs).

Imaizumi: There is a saying in a book on filmmaking that if there are 100 filmmakers, there are 100 different ways to direct a film. But there is one thing that a director should never do. That is to be silent after the cut.

Everyone: (Laughs).

Imaizumi: It makes everyone feel uneasy. So after I make a cut, if I can’t make an immediate decision, I immediately say, “I’m sorry, I’ll think about it! and then I think about it.

Ninomiya: I always say, “Please wait a moment! (laughs).

– As an actor, Ninomiya took part in several films such as “Underdog,” “A Family,” and Netflix’s “The Naked Director” or “The Journalist.” Are there differences between directing your film and acting in someone’s films?

Ninomiya: Yes, it does. It changes completely. When I am acting, I think of it as “contributing.

Imaizumi: As an actor, you earn money in other fields, and then you make “auteur films” in your own field, right? Like, “I’m going to work part-time on a commercial film today.” Just kidding (laughs).

Ninomiya: That’s not true at all! What’s with that tiresome-looking guy? Give me a break (laughs).

Ryutaro Ninomiya

Ryutaro Ninomiya is a film director, screenwriter, and actor. 2012, his first feature film, “The Charm of Others” won the Runner-up Grand Prix at the 34th Pia Film Festival and was well received at international film festivals. 2017, his second feature film, “Sweating the Small Stuff,” which he directed and starred in, was the only Japanese film selected in the feature film category at the 70th Locarno International Film Festival. In 2019, his third feature film, “Minori, On The Brink” will be released. In 2023, his commercial debut film “DREAMING IN BETWEEN” will be selected for the ACID (Association for the Promotion of Independent Cinema) at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival.

Rikiya Imaizumi

Born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1981, Rikiya Imaizumi is a film director. He made his commercial film debut in 2010 with “Tama no Eiga.” Since then, he has released a series of high-profile films, including “Sad Tea” (2014), “Same Old, Same Old” (2017), “Just Only Love” (2019), “Over the Town” (2021), and “By the Window” (2022). His latest film, “Undercurrent,” will be released on October 6, 2023.