Introduction
Once again in Rurou no Tsuki/ Wandering, we witnessed a "Tori Matsuzaka" we had never seen before. We have been amazed by his performances many times before, but this time he takes us to a new place in cinema.
Q: How did you understand the sadness and loneliness of Fumi in the story?
Tori: When I read the original and script, I had an image of Fumi sitting alone in the middle of a large, quiet lake, a place of his own choice. I decided to use it as a starting point to explore. However, I am still not sure if my understanding of Fumi was correct. He was such a deep and complex person.
Q: How did you convey this image of Fumi in your portrayal?
Tori: I tried to do everything I could think of. I was so excited when Dir. Lee suggested that I actually sleep over in the apartment where Fumi and 10-year-old Sarasa stayed together, and I did. I thought about Sarasa while making coffee, kept a diary as Fumi, and carved wood while thinking about my parents....I did many things. I don't know if I can answer that I was satisfied, but I did everything I could to make Fumi look like the way I wanted him to look. It was like I was navigating through a fog. I realized it's important to have a genuine feeling for the character. In this film, I experienced for myself the reality of what Fumi experienced and felt. Through accumulation of these, I was finally able to face each scene.
Q: Have you ever had a role with so much importance placed on the experience of the role?
Tori: I haven't had experience of going into set with such an accumulation of feelings and emotions. The nature of this film made it necessary for me to do so, and it was very significant for me to be given the time to do so. Looking back, it's the first time in my acting career that I was able to spend this much time on one performance. Truly a luxurious time for me. That finally brought us to the point where Fumi finally shared the truth with Sarasa. As if a glass of water was in a state where surface pressure was preventing it from overflowing, but in that scene, the pressure was lifted and the water just poured out of it. I think it was necessary to bring it to that point.
Q: What was the most challenging thing about playing Fumi?
Tori: Fumi has a truth that he cannot confide in others, and he is either rejected by society or chooses to be rejected by himself, and he cannot share his struggles with his parents. In this situation, Fumi found a connection with Sarasa, and he clung to that connection for the rest of his life. The biggest challenge for me was to fill in the blanks that were not depicted, such as what I felt and how I spent the 15 years until I met Sarasa again.
Q: How do you understand what Sarasa was to Fumi?
Tori: She was the one who gave Fumi freedom. He had made a choice to be alone, and Sarasa stepped into his mind and transformed his lonely space into a liberated space. She was such a special presence. Those memories of spending time with Sarasa is why Fumi was able to survive the 15 years that they were separated. Else, Fumi might not be in this world anymore. It may be an impossible relationship in society's eyes, but for Fumi, that connection was absolutely necessary.
Q: What resonated most with you as Fumi?
Tori: I think it was the special relationship between the two of them, a relationship that cannot be expressed in existing words. What does this mean for my own senses? I also felt hope for the existence of this kind of relationship. I think it is very beautiful to have such an unshakable and very pure relationship. A relationship that is connected at the bottom of one's soul is not something that can be easily created, even if one seeks it.
Q: How did you try to express that sense of hope through Fumi?
Tori: I felt myself really enjoying when Fumi was with Sarasa, 15 years ago. I thought what a happy time it was, as if a light of hope had shone down on Fumi. So for Fumi, it was more like being drawn to hope by the other person rather than expressing that hope myself.
Q: Did you keep anything in particular in mind?
Tori: I think about how many things Fumi has given up, there is a part of him that I can't fully comprehend, no matter how much I think about it. How far does the bottom of this lake go? The more I looked into the lake, the deeper and deeper I felt as if I was looking into the water, which was becoming more and more jet-black in color. I was able to express this through working together with Yayako Uchida (mother), Tamaki Shiratori and Suzu Hirose (Sarasa-s). It may sound contradictory that Fumi was lonely, but he could not express himself without someone else. I think I could not portray in this role if I did not receive presents from many people.
Q: Did you feel frustrated or disappointed that you couldn't fully explore the character like Fumi?
Tori: Yes, but it was Dir. Lee Sang-il who helped me with that anxiety. When I was in front of the camera, he waited for me to be ready in front of the camera. I felt that kind of reassurance from him both before we started shooting and on set. Along with anxiety, I had a sense of security that everything would be okay. I think that's why we were able to complete the shoot. It was almost like becoming Fumi together. I have met directors who think from the same perspective as me, but this was a little different. He tried to become Fumi with me, and that was very reassuring.
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