L/R15 “Nano Ai” “The cat ran away” Hideo Josada × Rikiya Imaizumi The fun of changing the script I wrote [Director's Interview Vol.195]

Hideo Shirosada and Rikiya Imaizumi, two directors who are currently on a roll, have collaborated in a unique way. The movie ``It's Love'' was directed by Josada and the screenplay was written by Imaizumi, and the movie ``The Cat Runs Away'' was directed by Imaizumi and written by Josada, and each provided original scripts written by each other, and then the other directed. Interesting attempt. Its name is program picture "L/R15". Both films are R15+ love stories.

Just imagining the combination of the two is exciting, but the finished work far exceeds expectations and is extremely entertaining. Both films have already been released and are receiving rave reviews. How did this collaboration come about? We spoke to both of them.

The story between these two is really interesting...

“Even though it’s love” synopsis

Tada (Koshi Seto), the owner of a used bookstore, can't forget his old part-time colleague Ichika (Honami Sato). A high school girl, Misaki (Yumi Kawai), frequents the used bookstore and earnestly proposes to Tada. Meanwhile, Ichika is engaged to Ryosuke (Nakajima Ayumu). While she is busy preparing for the wedding, she is unaware that Ryosuke and wedding planner Miki (Yuka Mukaizato) are in a relationship...

"The cat ran away" synopsis

Manga artist Ako Machida (Namiru Yamamoto) and weekly magazine reporter Hiroshige (Katsuya Maikuma) are a couple on the verge of divorce. Hiroshige is having an affair with his colleague The Truth(Miyu Teshima), Ako is having a physical relationship with her editor Matsuyama (Mi Inowaki), and their relationship has turned cold. The two of them are arguing over who should keep their cat Kanta, but then Kanta disappears from the house...

Index

• have someone else direct your script
• The script motivated everyone.
• Did you write it with the director in mind?
• Remote joint audition
• A crappy second role
• Cat performance was difficult
• LOL⁉︎ Movie director played by Oswald Shunsuke Ito
• Director of photography: Masaki Watanabe and Yuko Hirami
• From Compeito to Haribo

have someone else direct your script

Q: ``Even though it's love'' and ``The cat ran away'' are both extremely entertaining, and I could feel that the two of you were having fun making them and were in the mood. What was your first impression when you saw each other's works for the first time?

Imaizumi: It was really interesting. It was my first experience having someone else film my script, so I was worried that it would be the worst if I ended up saying, ``I should have shot it myself...'' but I didn't think that way at all. At the preview screening, ``It's Love'' and ``The Cat Ran Away'' were shown consecutively in that order. ``Even though it's love'' was so funny that I didn't want to play ``The Cat Runs Away'' after it.

“It’s Love” ©2021 “It’s Love” Film Partners

Josada: The rule was that after we had both written and exchanged scripts, we were free to modify them to a certain extent. I had received the completed version of the script that I had written and Mr. Imaizumi had added to it, but I didn't read it much because I was looking forward to seeing the finished product. That's why I was able to enjoy the finished movie as an audience member.

Most of the scripts I write are directed by me, so I usually get used to the lines I've written as the filming and finishing touches progress, but this time, after writing the script, I had to work on it. has nothing to do with it. So, it's only when you watch the finished movie that you see the lines you've written become actual words. By the time I was watching it, I was full of surprises like, ``Wow, I thought of that line!?'' and felt ashamed of what I had written, and ``Is that really going to be that big?'' But halfway through, I forgot about that and kept laughing.

Imaizumi: I feel exactly the same way. It was interesting because the script I had written was transformed into something more dynamic by the direction, and the feeling of ``Oh, this is how it's going to turn out'' was different from when I was directing it myself.

The script motivated everyone.