INDEX
Familiar Relationships Bring Serendipity to the Film
Both films feature Keiko Okawa as the editor.
Igarashi: Both Ota and I, as well as Okawa, are involved with “Kodomo Eiga Kyoshitsu” (an organization that conducts workshops and international symposiums related to film for children and teenagers), so that connection is likely significant. Okawa is also the editor for Sho Miyake’s films, so she’s someone who works closely with us.
How was the editing process actually carried out?
Ota: For ‘There Is a Stone,’ I mostly left the editing to Okawa. I’d occasionally visit to chat for about three hours, watch through the connected footage, discuss this and that, and then have a meal before heading home. I think we spent more time chatting than editing [laughs].
Igarashi: For ‘SUPER HAPPY FOREVER,’ I initially handed all the footage to Okawa to shape it into a rough cut. After that, Damien Manivel and I did the editing, and then I finished it up on my own. We had Okawa review it at each stage.
Igarashi and Damien Manivel co-directed ‘The Night I Swam,’ and it seems that collaborations between directors have become more active, especially in recent Japanese cinema. For example, in ‘SUPER HAPPY FOREVER,’ Ota served as an assistant director, while in ‘There Is a Stone,’ Yui Kiyohara served as an assistant director, and Ota was part of the staff for Kiyoara’s film ‘Remembering Every Night’ (2022).
Igarashi: Compared to about 15 years ago when I was a student, the environment for making films has indeed changed significantly. It seems that people today might not think of themselves solely as “directors” who only make their own films. I’m the same way; sometimes I make my own films as a director, and other times I participate in other films as a staff member. Whether due to economic reasons or changes in the production environment, we need to adapt to make films in the way we desire. I think everyone, whether consciously or unconsciously, is considering this.
Ota: For me, it’s simply a desire to make films with people I get along with. If someone I get along with says they’re making a film and it sounds interesting, I’ll help out. And when I’m making my own film, I want everyone to help me. It’s really at that level of involvement.
Is it a matter of doing what each of you can at the time and working together to create something?
Ota: I think it’s about how to commit to making the project interesting. For instance, the idea of “how to turn a stone-picking experience into a film” is probably something that others wouldn’t tackle, so it’s something I’d have to do. I reach out to people who understand that, and that’s how the film starts to take shape.
Also, I find it more enjoyable to work with people I get along with. Just the other day, while waiting at a traffic signal on my bike, a white patrol motorcycle stopped on the opposite side of the road. Even though I wasn’t doing anything wrong, my body tensed up on its own. I realized that I can’t come up with good ideas or opinions when I’m in that state. So, I’ve come to appreciate even more the importance of working with people who don’t make me feel that way when making a film [laughs].
In film production, there’s often an image of professionals gathering and working in a tense environment. Is the ideal for you a form of filmmaking that extends from a community of friends?
Igarashi: Working with familiar people has its benefits, but it also comes with risks. When it’s a job, if things don’t go well, you can simply decide not to work with that person again. But when you’re working with friends, it can affect personal relationships and each person’s life, which is something I find frightening.
Ota: That’s why I might prefer working with people I know well. When relationships can’t be cut off just for work, it means there’s a connection beyond just the project. There are things you see and feel in the time away from focusing on the project, and there are things you might overlook if you’re too focused. I want to cherish those aspects.
Igarashi: That’s definitely true.
This ties into the idea of “the accidental opening in fiction” that we discussed earlier. Reflecting on your relationships with the staff and actors this time, how do you feel?
Igarashi: Not just this time, but I strongly feel that I’m creating as part of a “team.” Making a film involves sharing the emotions, experiences, and thoughts of everyone involved, which is one of the most interesting aspects. It feels like everyone takes on a bit of risk and sacrifices something personal for the sake of the film, and that’s how the project comes together.
But when you talk about the team, it’s for that one project, right?
Igarashi: Yes. Even when we filmed ‘The Night I Swam’ while living together in Hirosaki during winter, after it was over, I thought, “There won’t be a second time.” It wasn’t about disliking the relationships or experiences, but more about having completed that project fully. I think everyone involved felt the same way. For ‘SUPER HAPPY FOREVER,’ if asked to do it again, I’d probably say, “Shooting there again in midsummer might be a bit…” [laughs].
Ota: I might be similar to Igarashi in that regard. We might work with similar people on the next project, but rather than a restart, it feels like the project will naturally determine the flow and direction that I’ll follow.
There Is a Stone
Released on September 6, 2024 (Friday)
Japan / 2022 / 104 minutes / Color / Standard / 5.1ch / DCP
Director and Screenwriter: Tatsunari Ota
Cast: An Ogawa, Tsuchi Kano, Sota Inagaki, Yuta Inagaki, Shu, Kosuke Setoyama, Hikaru Yamashita
Takeo Gozu, Chako
Producers: Sachihiko Tanaka, Kotaro Kimura
Cinematography: Yuji Fukaya
Sound Recording: Nariaki Sakamoto
Sound Editing: Eisho Huang
Editing: Keiko Okawa
Production: Koji Toyama
Assistant Director: Yui Kiyohara
Camera Assistant: Ryo Anraku
Compositing: Takashi Katayama
Stills: Madoka Shibasaki
Music: Oh Shu
Production and Distribution: inasato
Production Support: Ippo
Distribution Support: NOBO, Hadakeru Kousen
Visual Design: Asuka Wakita
Website Production: Kanade Asakura
Promotion: Kimi Idonuma
Promotion Support: Punkte
Special Sponsorship: Compass Co., Ltd.
Sponsorship: NiEW
Copyright: © inasato
https://ishi-ga-aru.jp
SUPER HAPPY FOREVER
Released on September 27, 2024 (Friday)
Japan = France / 2024 / 94 minutes
Director: Kohei Igarashi
Cast: Hiroki Sano, Yoshinori Miyata, Nairu Yamamoto, Hoang Nu Quin, Tomo Kasajima, Miu Kainuma, Tomomitsu Ashidachi, Yuko Kageyama, Shunsaku Yajima
Screenplay: Kohei Igarashi, Koichi Kubodera
Music: Daigo Sakuragi (D.A.N.)
Producers: Makoto Oki, Yusaku Emoto
Co-Producers: Martin Bertier, Damien Manivel
Line Producer: Masayuki Ueda
Cinematography: Wataru Takahashi
Editing: Keiko Okawa, Kohei Igarashi, Damien Manivel
Distribution: Copiapoa Film
Copyright: ©2024 NOBO / MLD Films / Incline / High Endz
https://shf2024.com
