"He One Second Ahead" Director Atsuhiro Yamashita What experience teaches [Director's Interview Vol.329]

`` The Girlfriend One Second Ahead '' (2020) was created by director Chen Yushun, a maverick of Taiwanese new cinema. This gem of a love story has now been remade in Japan. The title is ``He who is 1 second ahead''! What's more, it was produced by the unlikely and miraculous duo of director: Atsuhiro Yamashita and scriptwriter: Kankuro Kudo. There's no way this wouldn't be fun! Director Yamashita took on the challenge of working on his first remake, but how did he feel about it? From his collaboration with Kankuro Kuto, to the stars Masaki Okada and Kaya Kiyohara, to the setting of Kyoto, he has plenty to say. I asked him to tell me.

“The One Second Ahead” Synopsis

Hajime (Masaki Okada) was born in Kyoto. He is always one tempo faster than others and flies in the 50m dash. Whenever I take commemorative photos, I always miss the photo Being There, and in all the photos in my elementary school, middle school, and high school The Graduate, I have my eyes closed. Currently, Hajime lives in a tenement house with his sister Mai (Yuki Katayama) and her boyfriend Mitsuru (Simiken). Hajime's workplace is Nakagamo Post Office in Kyoto City. He worked as a mail carrier for 12 years after The Graduate from high school. His nickname was ``Fast and Furious.'' His license was suspended for repeatedly ignoring red lights and speeding, and he has been working as a teller The Day After. Sitting at the same counter as Hajime are new staff members Emily (Hiyo Matsumoto) and Ozawa (Ise Shima). The two of them always tell me, ``It looks like you've got 100 points, but what's on the inside is a shame,'' and I get upset every day. Reika (Kaya Kiyohara) was also born in Kyoto. I grew up in Ine, a fishing town facing the Sea of ​​Japan. He is always one tempo slower than other people, and in the 50m race he does not start running even when the whistle blows. She is currently a 25-year-old seventh year university student. He lives in poverty, holding multiple part-time jobs and paying his tuition fees. He lives in the photography club's room and listens to the radio while eating a late-night snack. One day, Reika felt a sense of déjà vu when she saw Hajime nursing a high school student who rear-ended a bus that suddenly stopped. I went to Hajime's counter at the post office and looked at the word ``Kou'' on the name tag on his chest. Hajime is attracted to the singing voice of street musician Sakurako (Rion Fukumuro) in the city and falls in love with her. I immediately arranged a date for the fireworks festival, but when I woke up, it was the next day. An “important day” has disappeared...!? The person who holds the secret seems to be Reika, who comes to the post office every day. Hajime happens to come across an unfamiliar photo of himself with his eyes wide open at a photo shop in town, but...

This time, a video version of the interview is also released! Please enjoy it as well!

Index

• Remake with Kankuro Kudo style
• “Kyoto” exudes a unique atmosphere
• Casting with large amplitude
• What experience points can teach us

Remake with Kankuro Kudo style

Q: How was the experience of remaking your favorite work?

Yamashita: The original Taiwanese version was very interesting and wonderful, so it was easy to motivate myself to do it. However, since this was my first time doing a remake, I didn't know where to start. Since the content could be easily replaced in Japan, it was quite difficult to figure out how to convert it. After Kankuro Miyafuji came on board as a scriptwriter, I was pampered and said, ``Mr. Miyafuji, please write!'' (laughs)

Q: Mr. Miyafuji, how did you come to participate?

Yamashita: At the planning stage, we didn't know how to transform the original, so the producers asked Mr. Miyafuji to do it. Mr. Miyafuji and I have worked together as actors before, but this is our first time working as a screenwriter and director. I was looking forward to seeing how I would film Mr. Miyafuji's script.

“The One Second Ahead” ©2023 “The One Second Ahead” Production Committee

Q: As for the remake method, how did you decide whether to keep it the same or add the original?

Yamashita: The Taiwanese version of director Chen Yushun's films are unique, with a childish, innocent, and sometimes cruel quality throughout the film. I wondered how to understand the director's worldview and feel, but when I actually worked on the remake, I realized that he had something that I didn't have. So, halfway through, I stopped trying to get closer and started thinking about what I should do on my own.

The story is similar to the Taiwanese version, but I think the movie has a lot of Miyato-san's character. It was a type of remake that had never been seen before, and I think it was a bit experimental.

“Kyoto” exudes a unique atmosphere