"The Wonderful World" Director Miwa Nishikawa I felt Ryuzo Saki's gaze throughout "Identification Book" [Director's Interview Vol.105]

film or digital

Q: Will you be shooting on film this time?

Nishikawa: This time it's not a film. I wanted to do it in 35mm though. Nowadays, all screenings are digital, so we moved from film to film to film to digital, and it started to cost more money, so we gave up on it due to budgetary reasons.

Q: The process involves scanning the film and grading (color adjustment).

Nishikawa: That's right. Shooting on film would have cost an additional 10 to 13 million yen more in terms of budget. I wonder if I can save money on that. I was disappointed, but Mr. Kasamatsu said to me, ``I understand the director's desire to do it on film, and I want to do the same, but I don't think there's a need to cut down on the scenario or content for that purpose.'' . As a result, I took the photo with a digital camera called ALEXA Mini. But it was very good.

Q: Hollywood's `` Joker '' (2019) and `` Blade Runner 2049 '' (17) were both shot digitally, so you can't tell whether they're film or digital anymore even when you're watching the movie.

Nishikawa: I don't know. At least to me. Even when it comes to works shot on film, I often think, ``Oh yeah, it's film.'' It's kind of pathetic though.

Q: Your previous work `` Eternal Excuse '' was shot on 16mm film, right?

Nishikawa: I want to shoot with film, but instead of using a camera as big as 35mm, I want to shoot with 16mm, which has more mobility. I knew that Yutaka Yamazaki had a 16mm camera, so I was like, ``Let's have him bring his camera!'' (laughs) When finished digitally, it becomes clearer, so 16mm images tend to retain a grainy feel and give off a film-like feel.

Q: I see. So, if you're Mr. Kasamatsu, then film would be your choice. Did you have a feeling like that?

Nishikawa: That's right. I always have big dreams and start by saying, ``If possible, I'd like to do it on film.''

Q: When I watch Nishikawa's works, I feel like most of the scenes are in high speed (slow motion). Is there any intention to use high speed?

Nishikawa: No, I don't think I use high speed a lot. Well, I use it in scenes that seem symbolic, or in cuts where time and space change. Well, I guess I used it quite a bit this time too. I used a few scenes where there were a lot of flashbacks or where you couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality.

Q: High-speed photography requires a certain amount of preparation, so I don't think it's something you can do right away on the day. So I thought they were carefully considering the scenes in which they would be used.

Nishikawa: Well, that aspect was basically designed from an early stage. If I tell you about it on the day of the event, I'll be confused. Even so, there have been times when I've just said something on a whim (lol).

Character formation brought about by art meetings