"Midnight Swan" Director Eiji Uchida I want to give back to the movie that saved me [Director's Interview Vol.79]

I want to give something back to movies.

Q: The music for this time was Keiichiro Shibuya. How did you come to work with him this time?

Uchida: It all started when someone from the producing side suggested it. The result was better than I expected. During production, I had a lot of discussions with Mr. Shibuya, which was difficult in itself, but I really liked that he gave the sound a flat feel rather than a movie music-like sound. I think I had a really good encounter with Mr. Shibuya this time.

Q: The quality of this film is quite high, and it seems like you've completed it, but what kind of movies do you want to make in the future?

Uchida: I just want to keep making movies. When I was a child, when I returned from Brazil and had no friends, movies were what saved me. I have a strong desire to give something back to that movie. Also, recently there are many directors who are interested in "images" such as PVs and commercials, but I have no interest in that at all, and what I want to do is film. If I can't make movies anymore, I might go back to writing, which I used to do.

Recently, there is a new method called streaming, and this is a theme for me, so I would like to continue making films based on this theme. I hope that by making films with diversity like ``Midnight Swan,'' society itself will become more diverse. For that reason, I strongly hope that this movie will be a hit.

Q: The theme you dealt with this time is very sensitive, but I felt that you were unabashedly portraying it as entertainment.

Uchida: Nowadays, the word "transgender" is often in the news and associated with social issues, but I hope that someday we will live in a society where people don't talk about it that way.

In this movie, a transgender person named Reiomi Sanada plays exactly that role. Furthermore, transgender people applied to volunteer, and dozens of people appeared as extras, creating a really positive atmosphere on set. I hope that in the future, even if he appears in a movie, he will appear in a normal role and exist without any special explanation.

When it comes to movies that feature social issues, fewer people will watch them, and as a result, fewer people will think about them, which is bad. I think it would be good if we could be more open without treating people differently.

Q: Lastly, please give a Arrival to those who will be viewing your work.

Uchida: If possible, I would be happy if the two of us could go see it together. I tend to go see movies with this kind of content alone, but I'd like for two people to come together and feel like they're going to an event, like watching a blockbuster movie. And after watching it, I would like you to talk about various things.

I think the Japanese film industry has really been forced into a corner. I think it's interesting to see movies that have a lot of capital, have a lot of celebrities, and spend a lot of money on advertising, but I think it would be nice if movies were a little more diverse. I want to make a movie like that.

However, this would not be possible without your support. This time, we had a big star named Kusanagi appear in the movie, and we were able to make a movie with this theme, but if a movie like this doesn't become a hit, I'll have to think about how to do it. However, I would like to continue taking on the challenge.

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Director/Screenplay: Eiji Uchida

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After working as a Weekly Playboy reporter, he made his debut as a screenwriter in 1999 with "Driving School Story" (TBS). In 2014, ``The Grateful Dead'' was praised at many major film festivals, including the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival and the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival (Belgium), and in 2016, ``The Love of the Underworld'' was a smash hit at Theater Shinjuku. Screened at over 30 film festivals around the world, including the Tokyo International Film Festival and Rotterdam International Film Festival (Netherlands). It was also distributed in the UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other countries. In recent years, he wrote and directed NETFLIX's ``Naked Director.''

Interview and text: Fumio Koda

Editorial staff and writer for CINEMORE. My favorite movies are ``The Goonies'' and ``Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.'' My recent favorites are 4K digitally remastered classics by Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu.

"Midnight Swan"

Nationwide roadshow on Friday, September 25th

Distribution: Kino Films

(c)2020 Midnight Swan Film Partners

Official website: midnightswan-movie.com