I feel anxious when I'm not making movies - Ari Aster's "Midsommar" [Director's Interview Vol.55]

The film director I would most like to see inside his head right now. The first of these is undoubtedly Ari Aster. A young talent who was first spotted by A24, which produced and distributed Moonlight(2016) and Lady Bird(17), suddenly starred in his commercial feature film debut, Hereditary (18). He created a smash hit and made his name known to the world.

The sequel, ``Midsommar'' (1919), is an elaborate story that pretends to be a horror-tinged story about ``the fate of a college student who ventures into a remote community in Sweden,'' but is actually a love story about ``salvation.'' (Of course, the unique "horror" remains strongly). Director Bong Joon-ho, who directed ``Parasite'' (2019), which dominated this year's Academy Awards, showed his extraordinary talent and named it one of the best films of the year.

He made his film debut in ``Dick Tracy'' (1990), which he saw when he was 4 years old. After that, he became obsessed with horror movies, frequented video rental stores, and steadily climbed the ladder to become a cinephile. He is well-versed in Japanese films, and his favorites are the works of directors Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Sion Sono.

Director Ali majored in film at the College of the Arts in Santa Fe and learned the basics of being a film director at the AFI Conservatory run by the American Film Institute. The director's work at the time, "The Strange Thing About the Johnsons" (11), was an "incestuous" film depicting an abnormal relationship between a father and son, and was a glimpse of the artist's style, which continues to this day, in terms of theme, smell, direction, etc. can be seen.

To put it bluntly, Director Ali has produced nothing but ``dangerous movies''. After making his long-awaited first visit to Japan, we asked him about the source of his unique talent.

Index

• I wanted to become a film director after watching “Goodfellas.”
• The one theme that cannot be overcome is "family"
• I feel anxious if I don't write. I always want to create things
• A24 completely trusts our artistry.

I wanted to become a film director after watching “Goodfellas.”

Q: Today, I would like to ask about Director Ali's writing style. First of all, are there any movies that you remember that have had an impact on you from your childhood? In a past interview, you mentioned ``Carrie'' (1976) as a traumatic movie.

Ali: There are several titles that I remember vividly, but the one that made me want to become a film director was ``Goodfellas'' (1990), which I saw when I was 11 years old.

I had always wanted to be involved in film, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do until I came across that film.

Q: I see. That was the moment I "awoke."

Ali: Also, the films that have influenced the way I make films today are ``Blue Velvet'' (1986), ``A Clockwork Orange'' (71), and ``The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover'' (89). )Such. All of them are unforgettable works that make you feel a sense of ``obsession'' and that you will think about them long after you have watched them. I also want to create similar works.

The one theme that cannot be overcome is "family"