"The Suzume" Makoto Shinkai depicts the confrontation with disaster and the recovery of the heart

"The Suzume" Synopsis

Suzume, a 17-year-old girl living in a quiet town in Kyushu, meets Sota, a young man on a journey who says, ``I'm looking for a door.'' What I found in the ruins in the mountains following him was an old door standing alone. Because disaster comes from the other side of the door, Sota continues his journey as a ``closer'' who closes and locks doors. Then, a mysterious cat, Daijin, suddenly appears in front of the two. The next moment, Sota is transformed into the chair that Suzume used when she was young. Suzume hurriedly chases Sota, who runs off in the form of a chair to catch Daijin as he runs away. Before long, doors began to open one after another across Japan. Guided by a mysterious door and a small cat, the sparrow's ``door-locked journey'' begins, taking in Kyushu, Shikoku, Kansai, and Tokyo, and the Japanese archipelago.

Index

• Conceptualized in summer 2019, immediately after the release of “Weathering with You”
• Shinkai-ism depicts the relationship between natural disasters and humans
• A story about facing the “earthquake” head-on
• Suzume, a disaster victim, views life and death
• The depiction of “memory” as an evolution of “time”, which is a characteristic of Shinkai’s works.
• A craving for “touch” that stands out after the coronavirus pandemic
• Unprecedented entertainment depiction born from the pursuit of reality

Conceptualized in summer 2019, immediately after the release of “Weathering with You”

Director Makoto Shinkai has released new works every three years since `` The Garden of Words '' (2013). “ Your Name” recorded box office revenue of 25 billion yen, the fifth highest in Japan (as of November 2022). ” (2016) and 14.1 billion yen (14th place), “ Weathering with You ” (2019), the feature film “Suzume” will be released in theaters on November 11th.

The first preview screening of this film for the media and theater personnel was held on October 24, 2022. Director Shinkai, who took the stage before the screening, said that the film had been completed about three days before the screening, and that the first preview for those involved was held on the same day as the media preview. This is a rather unusual pattern, and the order is usually a preview of the first issue for staff, cast, and other interested parties, followed by a preview preview to which a small number of people are invited, followed by a media preview/general preview.

One of the reasons for taking these steps is to promote the film in preparation for its theatrical release. For movies, there is a custom of handing out written materials called ``presses'' (which can also be used as the base of theater brochures) to the media who come to preview screenings, and ``previews'' are required in advance for production. When I don't have much time, I sometimes make it from a script or fragments of footage, but generally I watch the main story (even if the music and CG are unfinished) and then start moving.

"The Suzume" preview

Additionally, interviews with the cast and staff and various tie-up developments will be held in parallel with the media preview, and articles and videos will be released in preparation for the release. ... Considering the schedule, it is quite unusual that the first issue and the media preview are held on the same day, and moreover, two weeks before the theatrical release. When I heard this story on the day of the show, I was shocked by the schedule, but at the same time, I felt that they had really refined the quality to the very limit, and my expectations for the work increased.

According to the press, the idea for this work was born in the summer of 2019, after the release of Weathering with You . From there, motifs and stories were sorted out, and the proposal was completed in April 2020 (the tentative title at this point was ``The Suzume''). ``The Suzume'' was created by making full use of his time during a three-year routine despite the unforeseen circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.

Shinkai-ism depicts the relationship between natural disasters and humans