Interview with Soujirou Sanada

Synopsis: The protagonist, Manta Okamoto, is a 26-year-old “freeter.” He grows increasingly frustrated with the trivialities of daily life and worries every day whether he can restrain his impulses. Yes, he is a person prone to fits of anger. Once a month, he experiences a "breaking point" day when the daily stress reaches its peak. On such occasions, he copes by confining himself in his home, restrained on a bed equipped with restraints. Consequently, he is fired from his part-time jobs. One day, a senior colleague approaches him with a new job opportunity. It involves temporarily storing cardboard boxes for a few days in exchange for a substantial amount of money, but...

IAG: The concept for this film is quite eccentric. How did the idea come about?

SS: I don't remember the exact details, but one day I became aware of someone named Banta Okamoto. He had been around me for a long time without me realizing it. Then, suddenly, I felt an overwhelming impulse that I had to film him. It wasn't something I referenced from anything, but rather an image that just appeared out of nowhere. I teach philosophy in Japan, and I think that influence is reflected in my work.

IAG: For a debut film, this is an ambitious project, and the production quality was high. What was your prior filmmaking experience?

SS: I was active as the vocalist of a punk band for about 10 years. During that time, I directed 5 or 6 music videos. Additionally, I taught myself about cameras, lenses, lighting, and editing by buying my own equipment. I also watched and analyzed around 400 films a year to refine Okamoto's style.

IAG: We were impressed by the cinematography, but I didn’t see a credit for Director of Photography. Did you shoot it yourself?

SS: The shooting was done by Ken Yoshioka and Shota Nakazima. I came up with the shot compositions and gave specific directions. Since I was in the frame as Okamoto, I couldn’t give instructions on set, but thanks to thorough discussions and preparation, the shoot went smoothly.

IAG: One thing that struck me was your use of shifting color palettes—including a heavy red palette for some of the intense scenes and this beautiful bright, warm sepia tone for the daytime scenes. What was your thought process behind the choices of color?

SS: First and foremost, the purpose is to subconsciously imprint the intention and impression of the scene on the audience. Secondly, the relationship between color and Okamoto is tied to reality and truth.

Let me define truth as a reality that transcends the ordinary. As you mentioned, Okamoto's colors are unique. For instance, it’s impossible for an office scene in real life to be as yellow as we made it in our film. Also, the intense red palette for the Chinese mafia and the Japanese yakuza—such colors don’t exist in reality. In essence, when we base things on reality, the realism disappears.

However, I must quote Picasso here. He said, “Art is a lie, it tells the truth.” I feel a deep truth in these words. It’s like Japanese manga. Manga is never truly realistic because it’s in black and white. Reality isn’t black and white; it’s full of color. Yet, despite this, we still feel and are moved by the truth that transcends reality through manga.

The principle here is the same with Okamoto. If Okamoto’s world is depicted as an extension of reality, it actually loses its sense of realism. Therefore, Okamoto’s world must be portrayed as “somewhere that could exist, but not quite this world.” This is to depict Okamoto's strange sense of reality. The color palette played a significant role in this.

To summarize, the essential element in creating Okamoto’s world was the power of those colors.

IAG: How did you find the actors in this film? Was it a conventional casting process, or did you already have a personal connection with them?

SS: Most of the actors were chosen through auditions. Nakamura and Okuda had known each other for a long time, so I went directly to their company, read the script, and persuaded them to join the project. During that time, my strong desire to make an Asian film, rather than a Japanese film, seemed to strongly attract them. 

IAG: Lastly, what are three films or filmmakers that have influenced you?

SS:

• Funny Games (1997) by Michael Haneke

• Yume ["Dreams"] (1990) by Akira Kurosawa

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) by Miloš Forman