Kiyoshi Kurosawa, acclaimed director who received the “Best Director Award in the Un Certain Regard section” at the 68th Cannes Film Festival for Journey to the Shore (2015) and the “Silver Lion” at the 77th Venice Film Festival for Wife of a Spy (2020), was honored this year with the title of Officier of the Order of Arts and Letters in France. In 2024, he is set to release several new films, including ‘The Serpent’s Path,’ ‘Chime,’ and ‘Cloud.’
In his book The Cinematic Art of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, he reflects, “The essence of humanity is ghostly.” While the moral complexities of good and evil in humans differ greatly from the terror associated with ghosts, there may be a shared element of unfathomable fear. In ‘Cloud,’ Yoshii (Masaki Suda), who earns a living through reselling items, becomes the target of an enigmatic group he encounters online. Through an interview with Kurosawa, which delves into the depiction of invisible malice unleashed by haunted individuals, viewers are invited to contemplate the origins of fear.
Please be aware that this article contains descriptions related to the film’s content.
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Over Two Decades After ‘Pulse’: Shifts in Understanding of the Internet
In ‘Pulse’ (2001), you portrayed how eerie occurrences on the internet seep into the real world. Your latest film, ‘Cloud,’ similarly tackles the theme of fears that spread through the internet. However, the landscape has changed significantly since the early 2000s, shortly after the launch of Windows 95. How do you view the differences in our perception of the internet from that era, and how has this influenced his approach to filmmaking?
Kurosawa: When I made ‘Pulse,’ the internet was perceived as something “creepy.” There was a sense that it was something we couldn’t fully grasp, potentially destructive to our lives, embodying a so-called negative element. Although that wasn’t necessarily true, it was an era where such delusions took hold.
Even though it was digital, there were aspects that were slow and oddly analog-like, which fueled those fantasies. Hearing the sound of a modem connecting made me wonder what part of the world I was connecting to, and the vague images felt strange. Of course, I now understand that there’s no inherent evil lurking in the internet itself.
Born in 1955 in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. He began shooting 8mm films while studying at Rikkyo University and made his commercial film debut in 1983. He gained international attention with ‘CURE’ (1997). ‘Bright Future’ (Akarui Mirai, 2002) was selected for the Competition section at the 56th Cannes Film Festival. On June 10, 2024, he was awarded the title of Officier of the French Order of Arts and Letters. Following The Snake Path and Chime in 2024, his latest film, Cloud, was released on September 27.
Is it that while the internet itself does not harbor evil, there are terrible forces elsewhere?
Kurosawa: The internet has the power to gather and amplify very small things that lie within the human heart. If those things are good intentions, small acts of kindness can accumulate and create a significant positive impact on society. However, if they are malicious intentions, it can lead to irreparable consequences. The immense power of the internet influences both good and evil within people’s hearts, but I feel that, at present, it is increasingly being used for malevolent purposes.
You appear to have a detached stance toward social media. Does that leave a positive impression?”
Kurosawa: I think the problem lies not with the internet itself, but with the people who use it. As you mentioned, I personally use social media only to a minimal extent, but I’ve seen people close to me getting caught up in terrible situations, so I definitely feel the fear of that power.
What concerns me the most is that there are individuals who believe information circulating on the internet—whether it’s true or false—without verifying its authenticity. It’s quite absurd, yet there are surprisingly many people around me who take internet information at face value, and ironically, those of us who don’t believe it can sometimes be accused of “lying.” It’s possible for a sudden rift to develop even with someone you were close to just yesterday, based solely on whether they believe or don’t believe the information.
A suspense thriller that follows the protagonist’s life unraveling due to hatred spread in the online community. The main character, Yoshii (Masaki Suda), uses the handle “Ratel” to earn quick cash as a reseller. His reselling activities spark outrage online, leading to hateful comments spreading against him. One day, he is attacked by a man wearing a paper bag over his head and an undefined group of individuals.
