Japanese director Koji Fukada says its hard to make film in his home country because of a lack of government subsidies.

Record ID: 900561

  • Title: Japanese director Koji Fukada says its hard to make film in his home country because of a lack of government subsidies.
  • Date: 15th May 2016
  • Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 15, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** DIRECTOR KOJI FUKADA WALKING FUKADA SITTING DOWN FUKADA LISTENING TO QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) DIRECTOR, KOJI FUKADA, SAYING: "Not great to be honest. Of course there are excellent talents in acting and directing and film making and even new talent rising. But it's the environment that we don't have where we can freely create. We don't have enough subsidies. We don't have a structure that helps us make films." VARIOUS OF FUKADA SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) DIRECTOR, KOJI FUKADA, SAYING: "One of the reasons is that currently in Japan it's very difficult to make films because all the films are kind of done in a Hollywood style if you will. It has to be sound as a business financially without government subsidies and so forth. But through Cannes and through being recognised I hope that I will be able to make my films more freely to be able to be financed by many producers around the world." CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 14, 2016) (REUTERS) (L-R) ACTRESS MARIKO TSUTSUI, FUKADA, ACTOR TADANOBU ASANO AND KANJI FURUTACHI POSING FOR PICTURES
  • Embargoed: 29th May 2016 13:07
  • Keywords: Asano Fuchi Ni Tatsu Fukada Japan
  • Location: CANNES FRANCE / VARIOUS UNKNOWN FILMING LOCATIONS
  • City: CANNES FRANCE / VARIOUS UNKNOWN FILMING LOCATIONS
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014HX3JV1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Japanese director Koji Fukada says it's hard to make films in his home country because of a lack of government subsidies. Fukada is in Cannes where his film Fuchi Ni Tatsu (Harmonium) is competing in the Un Certain Regard category. When asked for his views on the current state of the Japanese film industry he gave a bleak outlook.
    "Not great to be honest. Of course there are excellent talents in acting and directing and film making and even new talent rising. But it's the environment that we don't have where we can freely create. We don't have enough subsidies. We don't have a structure that helps us make films," he said.
    "One of the reasons is that currently in Japan it's very difficult to make films because all the films are kind of done in a Hollywood style if you will. It has to be sound as a business financially without government subsidies and so forth. But through Cannes and through being recognised I hope that I will be able to make my films more freely to be able to be financed by many producers around the world," he added.
    Fuchi Ni Tatsu is a thriller that focuses on relationships in a typical Japanese family home. Toshio (Kanji Furutachi) hires Yasaka (Tadanobu Asano) in his workshop, but this old acquaintance, who has just been released from prison, begins to meddle in Toshio's family life.
    Fukada says Asano was the perfect actor to play the sinister role of Yasaka.
    "The character he plays Yasaka I never wanted to make him a hero or evil. He has to be a character that is sometimes gentle and sometimes frightening so I need that diversity and (Tadanobu) Asano is certainly an actor who has that very soft smile which is very engaging, and he can be very eerie and scary if he wants to be."
    Fuchi Ni Tatsu is Fukada's sixth film.
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