Interview with director Sang-il Lee on "Kokuhō" - 「国宝」李相日監督インタビュー

·12 min·1 clip

Director Sang-il Lee reveals how his discomfort with his own community inspired his film about Kabuki tradition.

This episode features an interview with director Sang-il Lee about his film 'Kokuhō' which examines the Kabuki world. Lee begins by expressing regret about how Kabuki and traditional arts are supported by limited circles. He explains that watching Kabuki involves not just the performance but also observing history and lineage. The director reveals that his motivation for making the film came from his own discomfort with his Japanese community, particularly the tension between preserving tradition and embracing change. Lee notes that Kabuki performers themselves constantly evolve, adapting works like Hayao Miyazaki's animations into their art form. He discusses his decision to hire cinematographer Sofian El Fani, wanting someone without preconceptions about Japanese traditional arts. Lee describes their collaboration as successful due to shared outsider perspectives and aesthetic compatibility. The interviewer asks if Lee would make a deal with the devil for talent, referencing a scene in his film where the protagonist does so for his gay identity. Lee responds that filmmaking requires balance between leading and supporting a large crew, questioning whether such devilish bargains are possible. He emphasizes the continuous desire to create better films, stating there's no endpoint to artistic aspiration. The director warns that stagnation begins when one stops aspiring to improve. The episode includes advertisements for Shopify and the 'Work in Progress' podcast for skilled migrants. It concludes with promotion of Lee's film and listening platforms for SBS Japanese content.

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