"White Bird" Director Marc Forster believes in the power of film [Director's Interview Vol. 457]

"Wonder " (2017) was a huge hit all over the world. "White Bird" is another story of " Wonder ". In "Wonder", Julian was expelled from school for bullying the main character Auggie, but his heart gradually changes as he listens to the terrible stories told by his grandmother.

The film is directed by the renowned director Marc Forster, who has demonstrated his outstanding talent in a wide range of films, from fantasy human dramas such as "Finding Neverland " (2004) and "Christopher Robin" (2018) to blockbuster entertainment such as " Quantum of Solace " (2008) and " World War Z " (2012).

How did Director Forster create "White Bird?" We spoke to the director, who visited Japan for the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Summary of "White Bird: The Beginning of Wonder"

After being expelled from school due to bullying, Julian (Bryce Gheisar) loses his sense of place in the world. Meanwhile, Julian's grandmother Sarah (Helen Mirren) comes to visit from Paris. Sarah learns from her granddaughter that the experience taught her "not to be mean or nice to people, but to just treat them normally." Sarah says, "I should tell you about my childhood." The year is 1942, and in Nazi-occupied France, Jewish Sarah (Ariella Glazer) and her parents are in danger. The Nazis storm into Sarah's school and take away Jewish students, but Sarah is saved by her classmate Julian (Orlando Schwerdt) and is hidden in the barn of his house. Julian and his parents risk their lives to protect Sarah, who doesn't pay any attention to Julian, who is bullied in class, and doesn't even know his name. As the bond between the two grows stronger day by day, news comes that the end of the war is near.

Index

• I want to convey "kindness" and relief
• The concentration of two young people
• I believe in the power of film.

I want to convey "kindness" and relief

Q: Please tell us how you became involved in this project.

Foster: I read the original graphic novel during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Sarah's situation of being unable to leave the barn was something I could really empathize with during my time under lockdown. Most of the works I've worked on have had the theme of "salvation." This film is also a love story, but I also wanted to convey "kindness" and "salvation" in this work.

Q: The film begins with a rear shot of Julian walking to school wearing a hoodie, and the contrast with the previous film is captivating.

Foster: I think that wearing the hood conveyed his desire to hide. In the film, Julian always looks down at first, but gradually he starts to look up. I wanted it to be a symbol of that.

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Q: In terms of conveying the war to the younger generation, the film itself overlaps with the grandmother played by Helen Mirren. Films are about telling stories, so was there anything you were conscious of in terms of tradition?

Foster: The framework of the film itself remains the same as the graphic novel, but this time I placed great importance on "tradition" and "respect." I don't think most of us listened to our grandparents' stories when we were kids, but their experiences should be passed on to the younger generation, and that is lacking now. I hope that this film will convey those things. I hope everyone will watch it with their families.

The concentration of two young people