Creating a place for free expression and weaving hope.
Kyoko Koizumi, who was involved in the film as an associate producer, said in another interview about her thoughts on establishing Shinsegae LLC, "As an adult, I want to keep the street lights on there. I think he meant that he wanted to light up the film industry by preparing a place where good works can be created, and I heard it overlapping with Shodai's words.
Outer Mountains:I learned about it for the first time! I knew Koizumi-san was amazing.
Murakami:I really respect you.
Shodai's words are "I want to remain in someone's heart," and he expresses his desire to be an actor. I think it is a statement of "this is how I want to live my life," which is somewhat similar to Koizumi's words. I am very curious about how the company was established.
Outer Mountains:This is my first time working with Kosuke Toyohara and Kyoko Koizumi, but since 2016 I have been doing everything by myself, including production and advertising. In a sense, I turned my back on the film industry because I felt that I could not be a part of the mainstream industry.
What did you want to do that was outside the mainstream?
Outer Mountains:Simply put, I wanted to follow my own kind of authorship. So I had to do it myself. Korean films are attracting a lot of attention now, but there were many highly original and auteuristic people in Japan as well. However, many people have left the film industry due to the financial situation and the state of the industry, and it is often said that there are no good people in the Japanese film industry today.
I know there has been a lot of talk about this issue recently.
Outer Mountains:That's right. At a time like this, Mr. Toyohara and Mr. Koizumi have prepared a place where I can freely create things, and I think this is hope for me and for those around me. I am very happy that we live in a diverse age where filmmaking is no longer bound by limited methods or genres, but can follow what it is important to do.
It is a memorable first work for such a company, isn't it? Naturally, it has attracted a lot of attention.
Outer Mountains:When I was interviewed by Mr. Toyohara, he said, "I don't think the world will change drastically with this one film, but it is important to first gain credibility one film at a time," and I agreed with him very much. I think it takes a long time to be recognized.
How about you, Imoo and Murakami? Do you have any thoughts on how you want to be as an actor?
Imojosei:I would like to have a place of free expression, too. Recently, I have been working on an independent film production with actors and staff of the same age. As Director Toyama said, there are many people in the same profession who respect each other, but good people seem to be leaving the industry. I don't want to see dreams being snuffed out, and I want to make this a place where interesting films can be made without being overbearing.
It's a nice experiment. I think it will be a great opportunity for us to have a place where we can express ourselves and brighten our hearts.
Imojosei:(laughs) There are actors I am meeting for the first time, and there are many wonderful people, so I think the future of this industry is bright when I meet people like that. I would like to grow more as an actor, and I would like to create a place where we can express ourselves freely.
How about you, Murakami-san?
Murakami:In a word, I want to be historical. That is all I think of as a value in life. The other day, the fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto passed away, and I had the opportunity to wear some of his clothes when he made his debut. It was a collection sewn by a handicapped person, and it was very nice. When I was researching Kansai-san, I found out that he had a show at Tokyo Dome called "KANSAI SUPER SHOW" with an amazing lineup of people. What was interesting was the way they gathered all the members. There were idols, stage actors, famous artists and models.
I can only imagine the chaos.
Murakami:Even though we live day by day, there are times when I think that human culture is interesting. For example, how did you come up with such a menu? It is exciting to wonder what happens the moment people who have pursued life in isolation get together, and it is amazing that you can bring together people who are working at the forefront of their genre to create a memorable show. You know, at this year's Academy Awards, director Pon Joon-ho quoted Martin Scorsese.
When I was a young man studying film, there was a phrase that was deeply engraved in my mind. When I was a young man studying film, there was a phrase that was deeply engraved in my mind: "The most personal things are the most creative things. This is a quote from our great Martin Scorsese," you said when you received the Best Picture award.
Murakami:I love this phrase, too, and I wanted to say it at some point (laughs). I want to make people feel frustrated, and I always want to keep feeling frustrated. But that is difficult, isn't it? If I stopped being frustrated as an actor, I might quit the world of expression. But I think the frustration is up to me, so I always want to look up and do interesting things regardless of genre.
