Director Isao Yukisada says Korea-Japan TV and film collaboration 'inevitable'

Japanese filmmaker Isao Yukisada / Courtesy of Holy Garden

Japanese filmmaker returns with queer film 'The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese'

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Given Korea's booming cultural content industry, there is a growing list of creators in Asia and beyond that are eager to collaborate with local production companies and filmmakers. Ties have been getting stronger between the content industries of Korea and Japan in recent years.

In addition to Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose first Korean-language film "Broker" helped its male lead Song Kang-ho win the best actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Takashi Miike helmed Korean-language drama series "Connect" for Disney+.

Japanese director Isao Yukisada said Japan-Korea TV and film collaborations could be a great way to bring the two cultures together and showcase their strengths.

"Korean content is expanding its global reach while Japanese content is in decline. So collaboration is inevitable. I'm eager to find out how K-content has become so powerful. I want to learn more about the secrets to its success," he said through an interpreter during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

However, Yukisada claimed that Japanese creators should stick to what they can do best, which is focused on subtle, slow-burn storytelling and sentiment that draws in the audience and makes them invested in the character's narrative.

"Many Korean TV series and films are fast-paced and provocative, while Japanese content is contemplative, delivering thoughtful messages. Koreans tend to appreciate our unique sentiment, so Japanese creators should keep that," he said.

A scene from the film, "Crying Out Love in the Center of the World" / Korea Times file

The director revealed that he set his eye on Korean actors when he was offered to co-write the script for the Korean adaptation of his 2004 romance film, "Crying out Love in the Center of the World."

"I was initially offered to dramatize 'My Girl and I,' the 2005 Korean adaptation of 'Crying out Love in the Center of the World,' but I eventually dropped out of the project. It was then when I met with Korean actors and recognized the influential power of Korean content," he said.

Yukisada said he was touched by Cannes-winning director Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave."

"I think the cinematographer (Kim Ji-yong) has done an amazing job. I've always admired Park and loved his works, but I dare say 'Decision to Leave' is probably the best film he's ever made. It's a love story like never-before-told in its own way. It's very artistic and emotional," he said.

He talked about bringing his first queer film, "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese," to Korea amid a sustained popularity of Japanese films. "The First Slam Dunk" became the second-most-viewed animated Japanese film released in Korea following "Your Name" (2016), surpassing 3 million in ticket sales so far.

The fantasy romance film, "Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight," attracted more than one million moviegoers here, becoming the third-highest-grossing Japanese live-action film released in Korea, following the melodrama, "Love Letter," released here in 1999 and the horror film, "Ju-on," in 2003.

"I'm worried about 'The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese' flopping. I'm under a lot of pressure," he laughed. "I'm glad that Japanese films are doing well at the Korean box office. But as a live-action filmmaker, it's humiliating when people only laud Japanese animated films.

"Speaking of 'Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight,' I thought such romance films would barely survive, because stories like that are unoriginal. But it was a surprise to find out that it's well received in Korea," he said.

A scene from the film, "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese" / Courtesy of Holy Garden

"The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese" follows the story of Kyoichi (Tadayoshi Ohkura), a married man who is having an extra-marital affair. Kyoichi's wife suspects that her husband is being unfaithful to her and hires a private detective named Imagase (Ryo Narita) to spy on Kyoichi.

However, Imagase has had a crush on Kyoichi since university. When Imagase meets Kyoichi for the first time in several years, he makes an unexpected proposition to protect Kyoichi's secrets from his wife.

On directing his first queer film with gay sex scenes, Yukisada said he wanted to portray the innocence and ache of love between two individuals.

"I did have a feeling that my love stories are losing purity, not because it deals with gay romance, but because it involves infidelity. I'm a straight guy, so I have never felt sexual desire toward men. But I hope the audience can catch the innocent feeling of love between two men," he said.

He also opened up about adapting the titular manga series by Setona Mizushiro into a film. "I had been very reluctant to adapt a manga series into a film. But that changed with 'River's Edge' (2018). 'The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese' has hardcore fans, so it was difficult to retain the tone and beloved qualities of the original work while altering some parts," he said.

Both actors Narita and Ohkura have stepped out of their comfort zones in the film.

"I've always wanted to collaborate with Narita. When I sent him the script, I told him that he could either take Kyoichi or Imagase's role. He chose Imagase. Since he's a heterosexual, Narita did a lot of research on same-sex couples. Instead of portraying him as a social minority, I wanted Imagase to appear brave on screen," the director said.

"For Ohkura, I told him that his reaction to Imagase's proposition matters because Kyoichi is the cornered mouse in the story that features both sorrow and joy that comes with being in love," Yukisada said.

"The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese" is currently playing in theaters.