"Backlight" Director Ren Sudo A world that is too divided and its sense of crisis [Director's Interview Vol.127]

Art and costumes that recreate the 70s, beautiful photography

Q: The film was shot beautifully, with all sorts of emotions in it. Even the vague relationship between Akira and Yoshioka seemed to emerge in those beautiful shots.

Sudo: Thank you.

Q: The photography by Sudo Shiguma-san is also impressive.

Sudo: I've known him for about eight years, and he's just a friend of mine. He's a photographer and a painter, and he's also directed some independent films, but he has a really great talent for cutting out images. I think he's a genius.

This time, I had complete trust in Watanabe-san, of course, but also Takahashi-san and Kiwada-san, the costume designers, and Shiguma-san, the cinematographer. I think that's due to their overwhelming sense of beauty. I myself tend to keep my room messy, but as soon as it becomes a movie, I become so detailed that it's annoying, so I can really understand the sense of beauty that these four people have.

Because of this, in editing, I only connected what I thought was beautiful, and cut out any images that I didn't like even a little. I asked Watanabe to take a look at it halfway through, and he said, "The first half is interesting because it's edited to focus on beauty to the point of cruelty," and I thought, "Ah, this is good after all." I think he was very focused on creating his own aesthetic world.

© 2021 “Backlight” FILM

Q: I was also surprised at how you were able to create a 1970s setting with such a low-budget independent film.

Sudo: That was really difficult. But even if a modern building was on the screen, I would insist that it was from the 70s and not worry about it. Of course, if the budget allowed, I would erase it (laughs). But I wanted to find a way to go beyond that kind of technology.

The work of the art department was also very reliable, and everyone was highly conscious of constructing the worldview. The costumes were also surprisingly wonderful, and they played a large role this time. In addition, we carefully selected each and every piece of art and props. We had 5-6 types of mosquito nets prepared for us to use in the film, and we actually hung each one in the room to choose the color. From the color of the cushions to the mosquito coils and cigarette ashtrays, only a little of them are shown on screen, but I think that our thorough attention to detail in these small details was the lifeblood of this film.

Q: You yourself are the lead actor, so you are actually acting in front of the camera, but how did you create the images and direct the film on set?

Sudo: During rehearsals, I always had an iPad in front of me and was acting while checking the images. Before filming, we had worked out the acting with everyone to a certain extent, so I was able to leave it to them with peace of mind on set. After that, I just focused on checking the images.

Q: There were so many amazingly beautiful shots, and the director actually appeared in the film, so I was curious how he created them.

Sudo: Thank you. It was hard work, but it was fun.

© 2021 “Backlight” FILM

Q: It appears briefly in the trailer, but the shot of the rocks before the title appears at the beginning is truly amazing. I thought it was so beautiful.

Sudo: I also like that shot the most. The cameraman was incredibly talented and could create a picture no matter where he cut it, but no matter how perfect the shot is, if it's not woven into the film in a meaningful way, it won't feel beautiful.

That shot is just the two of them walking up and down the hill, but it tells the story of their relationship, gives a sense of Japanese scenery and summer, and foreshadows the beginning of the movie. And because it suddenly comes at the beginning, I think that shot became beautiful in the movie. It's exactly that kind of shot.

Q: I felt a similar impression to the beauty I felt when watching Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name (2017).

Sudo: Watanabe, myself, and the photographer Shiguma all love "Call Me by Your Name." So, actually, before filming, we rewatched the film and analyzed it in detail. Each shot is surprisingly ordinary, but it's very beautiful and has a very summery feel to it. As a result, I realized that I couldn't do the same thing (laughs).

The subject “we” erased our own worries.