On Modern vs. Past Family Dynamics

――Having played a role in a story about modern family life, what new aspects of family relationships did you feel, and what felt unchanged from previous family dynamics?



Her willingness to do things like deep-frying suggests that Aya is truly her father's daughter.

――Conversely, what about the new aspects of family relationships?

UenoShe doesn't have the capacity to take care of her father. She's working and so overwhelmed with her own life that she can barely manage marriage. If there were more family members, someone could always be home, but she lacks the space even to own a pet, feeling like her father is being pushed away.
Lily: I've dated people significantly younger than me, but after participating in this film, I realized how their fathers must have felt about me (laughs). While couples with age gaps were probably common in the past, it would have been unthinkable for a man to be so unestablished at that age.

Tatsuya Fuji (hereafter, Fuji)From Aya's perspective, her elderly father suddenly moves in, and they end up living together. This period tests Aya's character. Despite her confusion and feeling of being burdened, her father likely appreciated Aya's efforts to look after him for several months because she managed to cope with the situation, guided by the "misguided guidance" of Ito-san. This is a kind of hard-boiled story. Perhaps this hard-boiled element is what makes this drama such high-quality entertainment.

Lily Franky (hereafter, Lily)Well, around Aya's age, the moment you become self-sufficient, you might have to start taking care of your parents. This is something that can happen in modern times.

FujiThis film represents "the times." For my generation, there were various templates for family, but now they've crumbled and are changing. Therefore, the father's loneliness and lack of belonging are well depicted in the story. I could relate to parts of it as I face aging daily, which made it easier to perform. Working with Lily and Juri was also very smooth and enjoyable.

Direction Like a "Pressure Cooker," Slowly Simmering to Deliciousness

――You've often played cheerful characters, Juri Ueno. How was it playing Aya, who has a somewhat calmer personality this time?

UenoI didn't consciously think about it. I didn't aim to play it comically or seriously... finding that balance was a delicate task. Films are long, and they're shown on a big screen, so I didn't want the viewing experience to weigh people down. At the same time, making it too comical would turn it into a skit, which wasn't right either. The result is a film with a strange charm, where you chuckle, feel your heart soften, yet gain insights, and find different points of resonance depending on your own perspective. While performing, it wasn't that it lacked fulfillment, but it felt like it ended without a sense of accomplishment (laughs). There's no narrative arc to rely on. With few major events, I was very anxious about where the audience would connect and how the story would unfold until the very end. However, it was the film I enjoyed the most at a preview screening among all my previous works.

――Was that because, as an audience member, you had unexpected discoveries?

UenoPerhaps it's a film that allows each person to project their own real family onto it. I believe everyone has their own way of viewing family from within. In that sense, it was enjoyable to immerse myself in such a work, and although I was apprehensive about watching it, the human element was so raw, and the characters were so well-defined. To use an analogy, Director Tanada's direction isn't about meticulously adding seasonings; it's more like throwing the ingredients into a pressure cooker, sealing it, and waiting for it to become delicious. It makes you anxious. There are no boundaries, so you don't know how to approach it. But with the script already in place, there wasn't much room for grand gestures; no matter what I did, it would settle into Aya. Thanks to that direction, I feel the filming was enriched.

――Lily, what about you? Do you see any of yourself in Ito-san's character?

LilyIt overlaps quite a bit. I suppose my usual role is "an older man dating someone who doesn't quite understand him" (laughs). And someone like Aya, who dates such a person, says things like marriage doesn't matter. Normally, someone Aya's age would be concerned about "marriage" or living within societal norms. While what the father says might be considered reasonable by general standards, I wonder if it truly leads to a child's happiness.

――Ito-san's charm lies in how he approaches such a "father" without being obvious and gradually builds a rapport.

LilyThat was easy to do and felt natural because it was Fuji-san. The father is meticulous and hard to approach, but he also has a certain endearing quality. He created an opening for "Ito-san" to enter. And Director Tanada also helped create that atmosphere.

――Fuji-san, how about you? How does your portrayal compare to your own role as a "father"?





FujiChanging the subject, the line that resonated most with me was when Lily said, "You people are hopeless," during the scene at Aya's parents' home in Nagano, with Aya, her son, Ito-san, and the father present. I truly felt that and was incredibly dejected (laughs).

LilyI was hesitant to say that line. Ito-san says it so bluntly and directly, doesn't he?

FujiThat was a brilliant line.

Page02.Gathering Around the Table: Still a Symbol of Family Happiness

Gathering Around the Table: Still a Symbol of Family Happiness

――The film depicts three generations. Did you feel any generational gaps while working together?

UenoNo, I didn't. I think people are different, even at the same age. The film wouldn't work if we were all the same. The way the scenes in that cramped dining room feel like a microcosm is probably because everyone is different. But we weren't consciously aware of our differences.





――Fuji-san, what about you? Did you feel any generational gap with Lily-san or Juri-san?

FujiNo. We didn't have such deep conversations (laughs). It was a pleasant season, and while waiting for our scenes, the three of us sat on chairs, surrounded by fields, looking at the blue sky, and occasionally chatting. There was a sense of happiness in those moments.

――The story seems to be about each character searching for their place or destination. Where do you each find your comfort zone?

UenoMy home. My dining chair. Home is best, even more than eating out.

FujiMy home too. Within my family. That's an absolute place for me. My wife sometimes looks like she's struggling if we don't go out to eat occasionally, so I need to see her smile after we do (laughs).

LilyFor me... I don't really have one. I don't feel particularly settled even when I'm home alone. Rather than being at home, I feel more at peace when I'm sitting on a chair on set, like during this shoot, smoking a cigarette (laughs).

What Was Inside the Box Cherished by the Father?

――Finally, regarding the contents of the box the father carried, which remained a mystery, what are your thoughts?

FujiThat's left to the imagination. Isn't it wonderful because it's so open-ended? I think it's better left unexplained, as a secret, as a question.

UenoI want people to feel it rather than think about it.



"My Father and Ito-san"
Starring: Juri Ueno, Lily Franky, Tatsuya Fuji, and others
Director: Yuki Tanada Original Story: Hinako Nakazawa Screenplay: Hisako Kurokawa
Production: "My Father and Ito-san" Production Committee
Stylist: Junko Okamoto Hair & Makeup: HAMA
© Hinako Nakazawa, Kodansha / 2016 "My Father and Ito-san" Production Committee
Now showing at Shinjuku Wald 9 and other theaters nationwide!