"Kokoro Amiko" Director Yusuke Morii "Just talk" without acting [Director's Interview Vol.222]

``Just talk'' without acting

Q: Kazuna Osawa, who played Amiko, was wonderful. Is she in the sixth grade of elementary school?

Morii: I'm in fifth grade now. I was in fourth grade at the time the photo was taken.

Q: There are two versions of Amiko, an elementary school student and a middle school student, but when I was watching the movie, I wasn't sure if they were played by the same child, and when I saw the end credits, I was surprised to see that it was the same actress, Kazuna Osawa.

Morii: She seems to be big for a fourth grader. He said that he was the third person from the back in terms of height. In the movie, they are set in 5th grade and 1st grade, respectively. I think there are some kids in fifth grade and first grade in middle school who aren't all that different in height. I decided that I could do it (laughs).

Q: Were the auditions held in Hiroshima, where the movie is set?

Morii: We held auditions in Tokyo and Hiroshima. Mr. Osawa was trained in Tokyo, and Yuji Ozeki, who played Nori-kun, and Takaaki Takamaki, who played the role of a shaved head, were trained in Hiroshima. All three had no acting experience and were just ordinary elementary school students until then.

Q: Okumura Tenharu-kun, who plays the older brother, is the younger brother of Okumura Mondo-kun, who appeared in “ WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES ” (18), right? I felt like they were similar not only in appearance but also in behavior.

Morii: Yes. He is Mondo-kun's younger brother. When I was working as an assistant director, I auditioned for Mondo-kun for another production, and I've been interested in him ever since. So this time I asked my younger brother Amaharu to come to the audition.

Q: After meeting the children, you said that the decision was made almost intuitively, but were you worried about directing children who had no acting experience?

Morii: On the contrary, I wasn't worried. I think it's troubling when children objectify the role and play it while thinking things like, ``Amiko would do something like this,'' ``Nori would act like this,'' or ``a shaved head would have this kind of personality.'' I wanted them to stay as they were.

Q: Did the three of you originally have an atmosphere similar to the roles you play?

Morii: I chose someone who is an extension of the character's atmosphere, but I think there are some similarities as well. What is important is how the person and the role come together. In order to do that, when you say your lines, don't try to match the character. It's complicated (lol).

“This is Amiko” ©2022 “This is Amiko” Film Partners

Q: It's difficult to explain to adults, but how did you explain it to children?

Morii: I told my children, ``Don't act out.'' I wanted him to do it as is, without any drama. So I felt like I was asked to "just talk."

Q: The children's acting was truly amazing, but in this case, it wasn't really "acting" at all?

Morii: I do act. However, he is not trying to act. When it comes to acting, people tend to think that there are only two things you can do: either you completely identify with the role, or you objectify the role and try to become that role, but for me, ``just talking'' also means I think it is. I will play the role as I am. At that moment, I really feel that there is no lie, and on the other hand, I feel that it is better to pretend to be the role that it is a lie.

Q: It also appears in the trailer, but the scene where Amiko says, ``Isn't it disgusting?'' That scene is amazing. There is an air of seriousness about humans. All I can say is that it's amazing, but in that scene, if you don't feel the situation, you won't be able to get that atmosphere. ``I think Amiko (Osawa) understood,'' the director commented in the materials.

Morii: That's right. Even though I didn't say anything, I took on that tone. I was surprised when I was filming.

Q: Was that one take?

Morii: No, I took quite a few pictures. We do about 7-8 takes.

Q: It was a scene with Amiko and a shaved head, and both of them are amazing. Did you ever feel overwhelmed and burst into tears?

Morii: There was a time when there was a strong thunderstorm during filming, and Kazuna started crying (lol). She was wrapped in a blanket and wouldn't come out, so everyone was waiting for her to come out. Insects would suddenly come flying at me, and I would cry even over such things (lol).

I don't teach acting.