INDEX
How Film Reveals Character: A Look at the Two Directors Through Their Films
How do you each perceive the other after working together on films?
Ota: What I liked most on set was that Igarashi-san really eats well and sleeps well.
Igarashi: [laughs].
Ota: During filming, he’s always the first to go to sleep among the staff and cast. I often find myself staying up late, worrying about the next day’s shoot, but Igarashi-san would eat and then immediately go to bed, saying, “You won’t know until you see the set.” In the morning, he would wake up early, sit cross-legged on a wooden terrace with a view of the sea, and read the script. It looked so comfortable and made me realize, “Oh, this is the way to do it.” It was quite a revelation.
Igarashi: During filming, I find myself completely worn out. Although I prepare detailed plans, I don’t adhere to them strictly. Instead, I adapt to each situation as it arises, which leaves me exhausted by the end of the day. At that point, I can’t think clearly, so I prefer to go to bed early and rise early, using the morning walk to sort through my thoughts.
Ota: Realizing that you can’t think straight when you’re exhausted is a lesson that applies not only to filmmaking but to everything.
-Igarashi: Do you think that your way of being came out in the film?
Ota: I think that aspect of Igarashi-san definitely comes through in his work. He doesn’t push himself to make things work; good ideas naturally emerge on set. That kind of coolness is likely reflected in his films.
Igarashi: From my perspective, when I ask Ota-kun, “What do you think about this?” he usually starts with a long “Hmm…” and doesn’t answer right away [laughs]. He seems to have no preconceived notions about anything. So he takes his time to think things through for each situation. When he eventually says, “I think it might be like this,” he sticks firmly to that idea. Ota-kun has a combination of sincerity and stubbornness.
I think ‘There Is a Stone’ is a perfect example of that. As someone who makes films, I often wonder how you make a story about “two people meeting and walking by the river” work. But Ota-kun doesn’t have any preconceived notions about what a film should be or what kind of story needs to be told. His straightforward approach is really impressive.
