"Kagawa 1st Ward" Director Arata Oshima depicts the true picture of Japanese democracy in an entertaining masterpiece that surpasses his previous work [Director's Interview Vol.171]

Did “Why You” have an impact on the election?

Q: Do you think that Junya Ogawa's victory in the single-seat constituency had a significant influence on Why You?

Oshima: It's hard for me to say this as a director, but I can't say it didn't have an influence on me. However, the enthusiasm of Mr. Ogawa's office was due to the fact that there were people who actually came into contact with Mr. Ogawa in the flesh and decided to support him even more. If I had been disappointed in Mr. Ogawa himself or thought he was a little different, I'm sure he wouldn't have turned out that way. That's why I don't think it's all due to the influence of movies, I think it's just one trigger.

Q: How do you view documentaries intervening and influencing reality?

Oshima: Whether it's in movies or television, I felt that if you can express yourself through your work and have an impact on the world, that's a good thing, and it's encouraging. But when it actually happens, I feel like, ``I don't know how to interpret it.'' Is it really strange? Even myself, it's something I haven't fully accepted or fully grasped yet.

Q: I'm really looking forward to seeing how Director Oshima will approach Ogawa-san from now on.

Oshima: But I feel like I'd like to take a break from watching ``Kagawa 1 Ward'' for a while, or take a step back and watch it.

“Kagawa 1st Ward” © 2021 NETZGEN

Q: Do you feel that you have intervened too much in reality?

Oshima: I might feel a little like that. For example, there are social indictment-type documentaries. It is a movement that takes pictures from the standpoint of being ``against nuclear power,'' and its goal is to eliminate nuclear power plants through its work. I believe that this activity itself is a very honorable and meaningful work. However, it is not so easy to see how things actually work in reality.

In my case, I don't think that ``Why You'' moved politics as a whole. However, when it comes to the election in Kagawa 1st Ward, it definitely had an impact, so I wonder how I should view this. What's more, Mr. Hirai criticized it as a PR film.

Q: But I thought the end of this work was Oshima-san's determination to continue watching Junya Ogawa.

Oshima: It's a strange way to say it, but from this point on, Junya Ogawa will be in the public eye. That's why there was a reporter on duty during the national team games, and a lot of people would be watching, so I guess it doesn't have to be me.

Also, quite a lot of people started to gather around Mr. Ogawa. We get along very well, including myself, but I don't want to fight for the seat next to Mr. Ogawa. But when people become famous, that side of them comes out, right?

Q: I feel like I'm the closest to that person.

Oshima: Yes. However, I feel like I want to move away from that for a bit.

Q: This film will be released nationwide, but I would like voters in the local cities and rural areas where it is set to see it. But do you think people who support the Liberal Democratic Party won't watch it?

Oshima: I might not see it very often. However, when I listened to the opinions of those who saw the preview, I heard that it was sure to impress some people and that it was ``interesting as entertainment,'' so that's what matters most.

Q: I agree. The work is exciting and interesting. I keep watching it.

Oshima: Someone called it an ``entertainment masterpiece'' (lol).

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Director: Arata Oshima

Documentary director and producer. Born in 1969 in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture. After The Graduate from Waseda University's Faculty of Letters in 1995, he joined Fuji Television. He is the director of documentary programs such as ``NONFIX'' and ``The Nonfiction.'' After leaving Fuji Television in 1999, he became a freelancer. He has directed MBS's ``Jonetsu Tairiku'', NHK's ``Extracurricular Lessons Welcome Senpai'', and ``When I Was a Child''. In 2007, he directed the documentary film ``Theatrical Karajuro and the Record of the Karagumi Gekidan''. The film won the Documentary Award at the 17th Japan Film Critics Awards. In 2009, established the video production company Netsugen. In 2016, he directed the movie ``The Creature Named Sion Sono''. In 2020, he directed the movie "Why Can't You Become Prime Minister?" The film ranked first in the 94th Kinema Junpo Cultural Film Best Ten and won the Cultural Film Award. It won 2nd place in the cultural film category at the 2020 Japan Pen Club Awards, the 7th Urayasu Documentary Film Awards 2020 Grand Prize, and the Special Award at the Japan Film Professional Awards. Produced works include ``Creating Curry and Rice from Scratch'' (2016) and ``I'm a fool, so please help me.'' (2018), etc. He regularly contributes documentary reviews to Bunshun Online.

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).

"Kagawa 1st Ward"

December 24, 2021

Emergency advance release now available!

Tokyo Pole Pole Higashi Nakano, Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho, Cine Libre Ikebukuro

From Friday, January 21, 2022

Nationwide release! It has already been screened in 64 theaters!

Screened in 4 theaters at once in Kagawa Prefecture

Aeon Cinema Takamatsu Higashi, Aeon Cinema Ayagawa, Aeon Cinema Utazu, Takamatsu Soleil

Distribution: Netsugen

© 2021 NETZGEN