Director Lee Sang-il (47) has been making films that leave a lasting impression on the viewer's memory and heart. We talked about why he chose Shinshu as the main location for his film "Rurou no Tsuki," which will be released next year, and why he chose Hong Kyung-pyo, the director of the Korean film "Parasite" (2020)", the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, as the cinematographer.
A sense of air and water that captured my heart
Lee: Normally, I would look for a city based on the atmosphere and setting of the entire city, but this time I started from a point.
The "point" is a café run by one of the main characters, Fumi. In the original story, it is described as "an antique store on the first floor, which combined with the thick ivy, gives the whole building a retro flavor. I wondered what kind of building, what kind of space, and what kind of place Fumi's café would be in. From there, I expanded my imagination to the area where he lives. I kept searching for that one point, gradually expanding my search from the Kanto area, and finally found the building owned by Matsumoto Gas along the Meotoba River.
The building and the surrounding cityscape captured Director Lee's attention. The cultural scent, the mixture of new and old, Japanese and Western, and the strange harmony and cleanliness of the area. There are mountain ridges in the background, and I think this atmosphere and the way it looks is perfect for the visuals of the film...the atmosphere that Sarasa and Fumi are "living".
Lee: Another reason for choosing Shinshu was Lake Aoki (Omachi City). When I was looking for a quiet, clear lake that seemed to exist only in their memories, Aoki Lake had a great appeal.
What was the purpose of bringing in cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo?
Hong, who shot the film in such a landscape, is one of the leading cinematographers in the Korean film industry, having worked on such films as "Burning" directed by master filmmaker Lee Chang-dong.
It was on the set of "Parasite" that the two met. Hong told Lee that "Rage" (2016) was "the best Japanese film I've seen recently," and they exchanged words, "I'd like to work with you someday".
Lee: "'Rurou no Tsuki" has the harshness of reality and allegory. I thought he could portray both the gritty side of humanity and the image of being hidden wrapped by something.
Normally, I work with a cinematographer two or three months in advance, but this time, due to covid, we only met up just before shooting. He has a quiet passion to preserve the atmosphere of the scenes. The skies over Matsumoto and Nagano are quite windy.
Looking into the camera, Hong said,
Hong: The movement of the clouds, the light, the cityscape, and the power and smell of the land helped me with the images. I think there's something unique about this place.
Filming close to Sarasa and Fumi seems to be physically and mentally exhausting. When I asked him how he maintains his motivation, he told me, "If I'm the only one who does this, I feel down."
Lee: Because I'm not a superhuman (lol). While (Matsuzaka) Tori-kun and (Hirose) Suzu restrained themselves so much... Tori-kun became extremely thin to create a silhouette, and endured mentally and physically to maintain it. It's not just me, but Hong and the rest of the staff are going through the same thing.
Although under the covid situation, he says, he was fortunate to have the support of face-to-face conversations. The director, actors, and staff were able to overcome the difficulties because they were all comrades with the same goal of completing the film. I wonder how the beliefs of the director, actors and staff will crystallize on the silver screen.
A girl named Sarasa (Suzu Hirose) and a young man named Fumi (Tori Matsuzaka), who were separated because they were considered the victim and perpetrator of a kidnapping, are reunited 15 years later. While the world does not understand them, they try to build a special relationship that is different from friendship and love.
Yokohama Ryusei and Tabe Mikako: The agony and sincerity I felt in both of them
Yokohama Ryusei, who plays Sarasa's boyfriend Ryo, says that he picked up the original story during the Covid-19 self-restraint period.
Ryusei: I'm so happy to have been able to create a work that made me think so much, together with director Lee and other wonderful people. I hope I can break out of the shell I'm still in by giving it my all.
The film tells the story of Ryo's hunger for love, his fragility, and his madness. Director Lee Sang-il said after the filming,
Lee: He was struggling all the way to the end to figure out how to grasp what was not there in himself as Ryo. That was good. The agony of Ryo's suffering in the film seemed to overlap little by little.
Tabe Mikako has also been cast as Ayumi, a nurse who accompanies Fumi, who is having a hard time living. In her limited scenes, she commented,
Tabe: It's difficult to convey the delicate emotions and agony, but I'll do my best.
Director Lee also had high hopes for Tabe, who "seems to be far from greedy" and wondered how she would reveal the frustration of not being able to touch the heart of a loved one. During the filming, she struggled with her anxiety and said, "I couldn't help but feel her sincerity."
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