Not Forgotten Interview: Makoto Shinozaki

Q. When did you get the idea of this movie? A. I had been thinking about it since I was a student. The idea at the core of the filmis old people facing up to something at the end of their lives. Ten years has passed since then, and the idea had been changing in me. I actually finished writing the first script in 1997 after filiming Okaeri. I think that nowadays films tend to focus only on young people; I am not talking only about Japan. It is rare to see the experienced actors whom I like being actively promoted. I also wanted to do something about this situation. Q. The second half of this film unfolds unexpectedly, given the first part. A. Maybe you're right. A young actor who read the script told me that this film is a Japanese version of Magnolia (laughter). It won't be released to the public until next summer, so those who have already seen this film should keep the second half a secret. Q. All grandpas are wonderful with no exception here. Tatsuya Mihashi and Minoru Oki are reknowned stars, but could you tell us the reason why you cast Tomio Aoki? A. Aoki first appeared in Yasujiro Ozu's silent films as a child actor named Tokkan Kozo. I met him at a magazine interview and asked to appear in Okaeri. When you use such experienced actors, some might take it as a sort of hommage to film history. That is not the case here. I asked them because of the flare they have now. Q. Mihashi, Oki, and Aoki won the prize for best actor, and Akiko Kazami won best actress at the Nantes Film Festival. A. I tried to intertwine the human stories of all characters-- five experienced acotrs including Keiko Utsumi, and the younger generation such as Sanada and Endo--by incorporating everyone's own drama. So I was greatly pleased by these awards. The morning after we received the prizes, Aoki (who attended the festival) said to me, "It isn't a drama, or is it?" That left an impression on me. I hope that there will be more opportunities in which those great actors can participate after this film. Director's Profile: Born in Tokyo in 1963. Worked as a projectionist at several Tokyo cinemas and wrote about film. After making a number of 8mm films, made his feature debut in 1996 with Okaeri, which garnered awards including Best New Director at the Berlinale and brought him international attention. In 1999, completed Jam Session: Official Bootleg of Kikujiro, a documentary on the making of director Takeshi Kitano's Kikujiro. Jam Session has been screened at film festivals around the world from Locarno to Toronto, Vancouver and Pusan.