"The Son" Director Florian Zeller: What he entrusts to the relationship between three generations [Director's Interview Vol.293]

What we entrusted to the relationship of three generations

Q: You mentioned that you depicted a cycle that is passed down from generation to generation, but are you aware of the differences in thinking between generations?

Zeller: There are things that I am aware of. This time, three generations are intentionally included: grandfather, father, and son. In contrast to his grandfather's generation, who didn't delve deep into themselves, never complained, and pushed forward even at the cost of themselves, 17-year-old Nicholas has words that eloquently convey his feelings. I can't convey my feelings well, so I can't see life. Peter is the generation in between, and although he tries to be a better father than his grandfather, he actually has ideas in his heart of what a man should be like. Therefore, he feels responsible for solving all the problems himself, and when that doesn't go well, he becomes frustrated and becomes violent.

It can be difficult to understand the pain of others, especially when it comes to mental health. I don't understand, so I don't know how to help. That's exactly the situation Peter is in. There's no doubt that he loves his son and is trying to be a good father, but he still doesn't know what to do. The reason why this happens is because Peter himself is also suffering from pain as a son. I entrusted this to the relationships between three generations.

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Q: Why did you choose to address this issue in the film?

Zeller: This film depicts the helplessness of a family, who try to help their child but are unsuccessful. Mental health issues are like a black hole that swallows up not only the person in question but also those around them. In the first place, it is very difficult to determine whether a person has a problem or not, and since emotional aspects such as shame and guilt are also involved, it is difficult to have an open conversation. But to help our loved ones, we need open conversations. I created this work to convey that feeling.

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Director/Screenplay/Original play/Producer: Florian Zeler

Born in France in 1979. Author, playwright, director. The Times of London praised him as ``the most exciting playwright of our time.'' He has written plays such as "The Father," "The Mother," "The Truth," "The Lie," and "The Height of the Storm," and has performed in 45 countries. It has been performed in more than one country. He wrote and directed ``The Father,'' which was a hit that won numerous awards in Paris, London, and New York, and was praised by the Guardian as ``the best theatrical work of the past 10 years.'' will be made into a movie in 2020. His feature film directorial debut, ``The Father'' (Japanese title), was nominated for six Academy Awards®, winning Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won the British Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay, and the Cesar Award for Best Foreign Film. The play ``The Son'', which is the director's second film, was first performed in London in 2019 and has won numerous awards.

Interview and text: Fumio Koda

Editorial staff and writer for CINEMORE. My favorite movies are ``The Goonies'' and ``Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.'' My recent favorites are 4K digitally remastered classics by Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu.

"The Son"

March 17th (Friday) TOHO Cinemas Chante and other national roadshow Distributor: Kino Films

© THE SON FILMS LIMITED AND CHANNEL FOUR TELEVISION CORPORATION 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.