INTERVIEW | A Special Conversation Between "Paper Moon" Director Daihachi Yoshida and Actor Sosuke Ikematsu: Gallery
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INTERVIEW | A Special Conversation Between "Paper Moon" Director Daihachi Yoshida and Actor Sosuke Ikematsu: Gallery

Kami no Tsuki Director Daihachi Yoshida x Actor Sosuke Ikematsu<br />*Sosuke Ikematsu's outfit: Top and bottoms (both vintage/TORO)
A scene from the stage play "Nurui Doku." Director Yoshida was captivated by Sosuke Ikematsu's acting after seeing him perform here. Photograph by TANAKA Aki
Director Yoshida said, "When starting a project, whether it's a film or a play, I go into a kind of battle mode, so I really wanted to make Sosuke my ally from the start."
Set in 1994, just after the collapse of the bubble economy, this film thrillingly and scandalously depicts a seemingly ordinary housewife, working as a contract employee at a bank, who embezzles a huge sum of money after a chance encounter. © 2014 "Kami no Tsuki" Production Committee
Sosuke Ikematsu plays Kota Hirabayashi, the partner of the protagonist Rika Umezawa (pictured right), played by Rie Miyazawa. Kota accelerates Rika's descent into crime. © 2014 "Kami no Tsuki" Production Committee
"Kota's role is to shine a light on Rika. It's not enough for a young actor to just play it naturally; they need to be able to establish a delicate give-and-take with Rie Miyazawa's performance and match her breath. Kota exists to bring out new facets of Rika's character. I couldn't think of anyone other than Sosuke who could play that role," said Director Yoshida.
"I found the appeal in this project being helmed by Daihachi-san. For example, the way people carry heavy burdens, or the way they run. It's a pilgrimage, a figure that is neither good nor evil. I thought it made sense for Daihachi-san to film this image of someone running while praying," said Ikematsu. © 2014 "Kami no Tsuki" Production Committee
"I want to see people praying, or earnestly facing something. Not at their leisure, but deliberately closing their eyes and plunging forward at the last moment. Ultimately, those are the only kinds of people I want to see in a film," said Director Yoshida.
Director Yoshida explained, "The film touches on the theme of 'real' versus 'fake,' and I was thinking, what's wrong with fake? It becomes painful when you believe in something real and try to approach it." Ikematsu responded, "Actually, I thought about making Kota an ambiguous figure, neither real nor fake. I was thinking of money, the moon, and Kota on the same level."
"Humans can find something to pray to, whether it's a tree or a stone. In the same way, money is ultimately just paper," said Director Yoshida. © 2014 "Kami no Tsuki" Production Committee
"There might be a certain suffering in believing only in things that last with the same value," said Director Yoshida. "There is, somewhere. It feels like you don't trust people completely, Daihachi-san," said Ikematsu. "That's not true. Don't lump me in with that (laughs)," replied Yoshida.
"For a time, Kota was something certain for Rika. Just because something becomes the past doesn't mean it ceases to exist or is forgotten. The film wanted to show, through the accumulation of such things, where Rika ultimately stands and where she is heading," said Director Yoshida. © 2014 "Kami no Tsuki" Production Committee
The two reflected on the film in Tokyo during autumn, about half a year after shooting wrapped. Their easy rapport suggested comrades-in-arms who had completed two "battles"—one on stage and one on film.
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INTERVIEW | Kami no Tsuki Director Daihachi Yoshida x Actor Sosuke Ikematsu Special Talk Gallery

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