MEGUMI joins BABEL LABEL as a producer. Sense of crisis and solutions for the domestic video industry [Director's Interview Vol. 286]

The production scene in this country is too harsh. There are too few films starring women.

Q: MEGUMI, what kind of fun and strengths did you see when you joined BABEL LABEL?

MEGUMI: Right now I'm working on documentaries, and above all, I'm a professional (lol). Up until now, my manager and I have teamed up with production companies and TV stations for each work, but each time the team is different, so we end up disbanding just when we're getting stronger. It was difficult to pass on the know-how to the next generation, but since everyone at BABEL LABEL has been working with us for a long time, we were able to understand that things would go smoothly if we did it this way, and we were able to take steps in the production process. I feel that they are very professional. This also makes me feel like I need to straighten my collar, and at the same time it's fun, so the balance is very good.

Q: MEGUMI, you have been involved in a wide variety of activities, including being the owner of "Cafe Tamon" in Kanazawa, but how did you become interested in producing video works? .

MEGUMI: The same goes for my shop, and I've been editing a free paper for about 15 years, so I've always felt the joy of creating "0→1" within myself. And after working in the entertainment industry for more than 10 years, I started to feel a growing sense of crisis: ``There are too few productions with female leads in this country'' and ``The working environment is too harsh.'' Depending on the medium, it feels like it's getting more and more demanding year by year, and it's not a situation where you can just think about it and continue doing it forever. I'm eating cheap lunches that normal office workers would never eat, and it's just too demanding. ``I can't do it if I don't like it.'' The current situation has not changed, but has gotten worse.

Q: It's "rewarding exploitation"...

MEGUMI: I think many people feel that domestic entertainment is heading into decline, and I feel the same sense of crisis. I am a housewife myself, and I feel that the raison d'être of entertainment is to be able to refresh yourself without having to change places and to move your heart, even though you are extremely busy with housework, childcare, and work. It's a wonderful thing that we can't live without, so we want to develop it somehow. But...when I run a business myself or work in a production business where a lot of people are moving in the same direction, I start to see that the various problems within the industry are connected.

I'm in my 40s now, and Japanese actresses tend to get fewer and fewer roles as they get older. I'm sure there are many people who are worried about what they should do from now on, such as appearing briefly as the mother of the lead role. I'm the same way, so instead of waiting for work that excites me, I want to solve problems by creating it. I believe that Japan has the power of manufacturing, and I started a video production business filled with the desire to deliver it to the world.