I fight against malice through the movie "Blinded by the Light" directed by Gurinder Chadha [Director's Interview Vol.64]

Do you know Gurinder Chadha? He is a film director who took the world by storm with `` In Love With Beckham '' (2002), which made Keira Knightley famous, and has worked on many human comedies.

A Kenyan-born Indian immigrant, she grew up in the UK and became a broadcast journalist for BBC News. After that, he made a documentary for the BBC, which led to ``In Love with Beckham''. Director Chadha's new film "Blinded by the Light" (2019) has finally been released in Japan after overcoming the postponement due to the new coronavirus. This is an exhilarating work about a young Pakistani immigrant who encounters the music of Bruce Springsteen , encounters a new culture, discovers joy, and discovers his dreams. The sight of him overcoming the "wall" of prejudice and running as himself is sure to give us endless courage as we live today.

This movie is actually based on the true story of Sarfraz Manzoor, who wrote the original story and co-wrote the screenplay. Springsteen, who had read his memoir, met him at an event and said, ``Your book was really great,'' and director Chadha, who was also present, approached him on the spot about making it into a movie. The idea of ​​making it into a movie began after the miraculous event of receiving the consent. With the help of Springsteen, a large number of songs, including unreleased songs, are used in the movie.

What's interesting about this work is that even young people who aren't familiar with Springsteen's songs will be impressed by it. Like `` Sing Street '' (2016) and `` Billy Elliot '' (2000), it is filled with the energy of ``dreams being the driving force to break through a sense of stagnation.''

This time, we have a remote interview with director Chadha, who created a youthful and fresh energy movie. We hope you will enjoy the interview, which was conducted in a homely atmosphere, including the intrusion of her daughter (Kumiko, whose great-grandmother was Japanese and who took her name from her).

Index

• I have always depicted “connections” with people.
• Named Britain's most prolific director
• To make a good movie, you have to be pure.

I have always depicted “connections” with people.

Q: “Blinded by the Light” was a wonderful masterpiece. I'm from a generation that doesn't know Bruce Springsteen, but I was still moved by it. I feel like the sparkle of that moment of ``discovering a dream that you should devote all your energy to'' dwells in the movie.

Glinda: I'm really happy that you were impressed.

To me, Springsteen is a poet. His music connects people, and it's also music about having "empathy" with each other. In other words, I think this music is extremely loving and caring. That's why I think it resonates across generations.

Q: I see, the "will" contained in his music has also spread to his works. Having said that, I think the director's ``character'' is fully demonstrated. For example, the comedy elements were very effective as an accent.

Glinda: Making movies is like an extension of my life. I'm generally quite serious, but I'm also the type of person who always has a sense of humor.

I believe that humor has the effect of making us feel that ``we are all the same, that we are all connected,'' and I try to use that emotion well when making films.

Q: Is this “connection” an important keyword for you as a director?

Glinda: That's right. As a filmmaker, I always try to find the beauty and purity of connections between people in stories.

I think that in today's world, many people can only see the identity of themselves and the country in which they live. However, the world, including myself, lives by ``breathing'' through connections between people.

I have just used the word "world," but how we view this "world" is also important. I am of Indian descent, born in Kenya, and grew up in England. My great-grandmother is Japanese, and my husband is Japanese American. Having such global roots changes your identity and the way you see the world.

I have fans all over the world, and they all send me Arrival, and things like that make me feel connected to the world. At the same time, we also research what everyone is looking for and what they like.

Named Britain's most prolific director