Acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa described his cinematic imaginative and prescient as a “work in progress” and not using a particular route.
“I have been making movies for over 40 years. Whereas individuals name me a veteran, I nonetheless discover myself questioning what sort of film I ought to make subsequent,” mentioned the 69-year-old director, honored because the Asian Filmmaker of the 12 months on the Busan Worldwide Movie Pageant (BIFF), at a press convention Thursday.
“I really feel like my theme or world continues to be not totally outlined,” he mentioned. “After I give it some thought, I suppose I’m a little bit of a rarity, as there aren’t many administrators of their 60s making two movies in a yr.”
Kurosawa’s two newest movies, the psychological thriller “Cloud” (2024) and the crime thriller “Serpent’s Path” (2024), had been chosen for the Gala Presentation part at this yr’s BIFF.
Relating to the remake of his 1998 movie, “Serpent’s Path,” Kurosawa shared an attention-grabbing story about how a French manufacturing firm urged he revisit one in every of his earlier movies. With out hesitation, he selected this movie as a result of he felt the unique model did not totally replicate his imaginative and prescient.
He defined that the unique model was closely influenced by the screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi and that he felt a powerful urge to transform it in his personal distinct type.
For “Cloud,” Kurosawa, famend as a grasp of style movies, sought to create an motion film the place peculiar individuals are pushed to violence below excessive circumstances. This marks a departure from the standard development in Japanese motion movies, which frequently focus closely on gangs and criminals.
“I needed to make an motion film the place peculiar individuals, who don’t have any connection to violence of their on a regular basis lives, in the end discover themselves in excessive conditions the place they kill or are killed.” By way of the film, the director mentioned he supposed to depict the true world as authentically as attainable.
For Kurosawa, a frequent customer to BIFF, this yr’s version holds particular significance as he attended the opening ceremony as an award recipient and each of his newest movies had been formally invited.
After assembly many pals from world wide, together with these from France, Canada and Japan, on the social gathering following Wednesday’s opening ceremony, he mentioned BIFF felt like “a microcosm of world cinema.”
“It is superb that in simply an hour and a half from Japan, I can arrive at a spot the place movies from all around the world come collectively. It is really an unimaginable occasion,” he mentioned.
Born in Japan in 1955, Kurosawa made his directorial debut with “Kandagawa Pervert Wars” (1983). He gained worldwide recognition with “Treatment” (1997) and gained the Un Sure Regard Jury Prize on the Cannes Movie Pageant for “Tokyo Sonata (2008).” He additionally obtained the Un Sure Regard Finest Director award for “Journey to the Shore (2014).” In 2020, he earned the Silver Lion for Finest Route on the Venice Worldwide Movie Pageant for “Spouse of a Spy (2020).” (Yonhap)