"Barbora" directed by Makoto Tezuka, a film adaptation of his father Osamu Tezuka's unique work focusing on eroticism and pure love [Director's Interview Vol.95]

Weaknesses of Japanese films found in overseas editing

Q: I heard that the post-production (editing) was done in Germany this time. Why was that?

Tezuka: Japanese post-production is weak in terms of technology and technique, and this time it was thought that it would be better to use an overseas studio that Doyle is familiar with, so he recommended a German studio.

Q: How was it?

Tezuka: It's really good. They have high technical skills. And more than anything, they have a team of professionals who understand the importance of post-production. It's common overseas, but Japanese films haven't really placed much importance on that until now. I think that's why they've suffered a lot.

Nowadays, at overseas film festivals, for example, director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's works win big awards and attract attention, but basically only a few directors are evaluated. Most Japanese films are not screened overseas even if they are hits in Japan. The reason is the low quality. It's not so much the money spent, but the quality itself that seems low. The reason is that they don't spend enough time on post-production. I decided from the beginning that I would do it properly this time.

Q: What Tezuka Osamu's original work would you like to adapt into a movie next?

Tezuka: It's difficult to say what the next project will be. But I have a few ideas, and if I can move forward with them, I want to move forward with them as soon as possible. In fact, I feel like my next project has become closer after I did "Barbarella."

Until now, I had been hesitant to film Tezuka's works, but it wasn't because I felt pressured because it was Osamu Tezuka. There was pressure in a cinematic sense, such as the scale of the film and whether good actors would be able to assemble. But by filming "Barbarella," I no longer felt that way.

In the end, it's not a matter of money, but as long as your aim is clear, you can do any work. In that sense, " The Birds " would be good, and it might be good to do " Black Jack " on the royal road. There are plenty of options, and if possible, I would like to do it as soon as possible.

Reserve "Barbara" now ↓

Director: Makoto Tezuka

Born August 11, 1961 in Tokyo. Visualist/film director. He started making films in high school and won awards at the Pia Film Festival and many other competitions. In 1981, he made his 8mm film "MOMENT" a hot topic. In 1985, he made his commercial film directorial debut with "The Legend of the Stardust Brothers." In 1991, he directed the documentary "Kurosawa Akira: The Secret of Film." In 1999, he was invited to the Venice International Film Festival and won the Digital Award for his film "The Idiot." In 2006, he won the Tokyo Anime Award for Excellence in the TV category for his TV anime "Black Jack." In addition to his video works, he produced Fujitsu's PC software "TEO: Another Earth" in 1995. It became a hit, selling 500,000 copies in 19 countries. In 2001, he was the general director of the opening ceremony of the "East Asian Games Osaka." He supervised Naoki Urasawa's manga "PLUTO." He is the creative leader of the "TEZUKA2020" project, which used AI to draw Osamu Tezuka's manga. He is also active as a member of the family of Osamu Tezuka, serving as honorary director of the Takarazuka City Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum. His works include "The True Face of My Father, Osamu Tezuka" (Shinchosha) and others.

Interview and text: Tetsuya Inagaki

TV director. My personal goal is to realize a documentary project that depicts the obsessions of manga and movie creators. Programs he has directed in the past include ``The Godfather : The Man Who Revolutionized Manga'' (WOWOW), ``Takeshi's Birth: Master and Asakusa'' (NHK), ``Master and Disciple Story: The Encounter That Changed My Life'' [Masahiro Tanaka x Katsuya Nomura ] (NHK BS Premium).

"Barbarella"

Released nationwide from Friday, November 20, 2020 at Cinemart Shinjuku, Eurospace and other theaters!

Distribution: Aeon Entertainment

© 2019 "Barbarella" Production Committee