[Interview] Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi: "Winning at Cannes Thanks to Seniors Bong Joon-ho and Koreeda"

Interview with Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi on 'Drive My Car'

Ryusuke Hamaguchi / Photo by Triple Pictures · Yeonghwa Sajoa

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The Cannes Film Festival in France has recently shown continuous interest in Asian cinema. Following Hirokazu Koreeda in 2018 and Bong Joon-ho in 2019, director Ryusuke Hamaguchi received the Best Screenplay award this year. Hamaguchi, who has traveled through prestigious film festivals, said, "I personally felt that the expectations for Asian films are very high."

In a video interview conducted on the morning of the 16th, director Ryusuke Hamaguchi said, "I hope that the global interest and trust in Asian cinema will continue."

The most spotlighted Japanese filmmaker this year is none other than Ryusuke Hamaguchi. His film Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy won the Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival, and then he received the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes International Film Festival for Drive My Car. Having swept major international film festivals, he is being recognized as the next-generation director following Japan’s Hirokazu Koreeda.

The Cannes Film Festival has awarded trophies to Asian films for three consecutive years. The highest honor, the Palme d'Or, went to Asian works consecutively in 2018 and 2019 (Shoplifters and Parasite), and Ryusuke Hamaguchi took over the baton by winning the Best Screenplay award.

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi said, "Of course, I am happy to receive the award and grateful that many people will know about it," but he also tried to keep himself grounded by saying, "I try not to put too much meaning into it."

He added, "I believe that Drive My Car received good reviews thanks to senior directors like Hirokazu Koreeda and Bong Joon-ho," giving credit to his predecessors.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi held a special talk with director Bong Joon-ho at the 26th Busan International Film Festival last October. He recalled, "That talk with director Bong was the happiest experience I have ever had. I felt affection and interest as I listened to his questions," and "I got the impression that he was looking at my work with a serious and deep perspective."

He laughed, saying, "I also felt like director Bong was provoking me, saying, 'You can do it. You can answer this question, right?'" He added, "I gained tremendous energy and momentum to move forward."

Drive My Car has won Best Film awards at major critics' associations including the 42nd Boston Society of Film Critics Awards and the 86th New York Film Critics Circle Awards. It is also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, the 27th Critics' Choice Awards, and the 37th Independent Spirit Awards in 2022, drawing attention to whether it will win.

When asked if he feels a changed perspective toward Asian cinema, he answered, "Having traveled to many overseas film festivals, I personally felt that expectations for Asian films are very high," and said, "Not only Drive My Car, but I will continue to create new works, and I hope that interest and trust in Asian cinema will continue."

What makes the Best Screenplay award for Drive My Car especially meaningful regardless of nationality is that it is based on an original work. The film is an adaptation of the short story of the same name included in Japanese author Haruki Murakami’s short story collection Men Without Women. Director Bong Joon-ho agreed with the achievement at Cannes, calling it "a completely new creative work."

Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi said, "I think the fact that the original work by Haruki Murakami was used is a popular factor that appeals worldwide. Since the author has many fans in each country, they showed interest in the film as well," and added, "Of course, fans of the author might criticize the film saying 'It’s different from Murakami’s novel,' but I took it that Murakami himself supported me after watching the film."

How is it similar to and different from the novel? The director said, "The scenes where the characters move by car and the background changes came across as cinematic settings, and I focused on the conversations between the characters as the core setting," and "The two characters speak with sincerity. Showing the relationship between these characters was the core of the novel."

He emphasized, "There are many differences as well," but "It was important to center the film on the relationship between the two characters and carry it forward."

When asked about Haruki Murakami’s reaction, Hamaguchi said, "We haven’t met separately, but I learned through articles that the author and his wife watched the film together at the theater. They enjoyed it for three hours and said, 'I don’t know where my part ends and the rest begins.' That was the highest compliment for me," expressing his gratitude.

Drive My Car will be released on the 23rd.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.