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

What does the weather do?

Q: The weather in Nishikawa's works is also impressive. This time as well, there was heavy snow and a typhoon, so I think it was quite difficult to take pictures, but please let me know if you have any particular preferences.

Nishikawa: This movie isn't a very dynamic story about a person who gets out of prison, but things don't go smoothly. I find it very difficult to make changes.

After all, it's a story about people who can't move no matter how hard they try. If anyone, even him, were invited to the apartment, the inside of the apartment would become the stage, and the picture would become increasingly cramped. After thinking about how to move this man who is having trouble moving and add variety to the picture, I decided to include a typhoon, which was not in the original work. The staff at the government office trembled as they did this under a large electric fan.

Also, fortunately, the setting was in Hokkaido, so we were able to take advantage of the snow, and it was also good that it was sunny and cloudy at key points.

Q: Typhoons add noise to the images in a good way, so you can feel the movement. I feel a tingling in my chest, as I feel something like an omen.

Nishikawa: Thank you. I also think that the typhoon scene was shot really well.

©Ryuzo Saki/2021 “Subarashiki Sekai” Production Committee

Q: The scene in the snow was also overwhelming. In the opening scene of Asahikawa Prison's release, the heavy gates open in the midst of falling snow, but even filming in the snow is difficult, so why would the prison gates open? That scene was powerful and I felt the spirit of this movie.

Nishikawa: The Ministry of Justice's Correctional Bureau is already fully cooperating. This movie is.

Q: I see.

Nishikawa: The main character, Mikami, is coming out of Asahikawa Prison, so we were going to do some on-site reporting, but we first had to get permission from the Ministry of Justice and get a look inside. Taking this as an opportunity, the producer persevered and asked the Ministry of Justice for cooperation in filming this time, and received approval that they would definitely like to cooperate.

The reality is that it is extremely difficult for people who are released from prison to reintegrate into society, and many end up returning to prison soon. This is a big issue for those in charge of corrections. I tried to depict that in this movie, and I was treated very well during the shooting process.

Q: We often see scenes of people being released from prison in movies, but it's rare to see the gates open.

Nishikawa: Actually, that isn't the real gate. The actual entrance and exit of Asahikawa Prison is very simple and clean.

Q: It was also written in the afterword of the "identification book" that the prison was rebuilt and became clean.

Nishikawa: That's right. When the general public sees the actual entrance to Asahikawa Prison, I wonder if they will think this is a prison gate. It felt so bland. The gate I photographed is something like a side gate for vehicles. I happened to peek inside the large iron door as it opened and closed, so I asked, ``Can you please open that door?'' and I was able to take a photo.

Q: When you see the gate swinging open with a heavy sound, you think, "Wow!"

Nishikawa: I guess I made the right choice.

Ryuzo Saki's gaze