Film director Yuichi Hibi

Providing courage and hope to take a step forward

Film director　日比遊一(Hibi Yuichi)

■ Profile
Born in Nagoya in 1964. After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo to pursue a career as an actor, and then to New York at the age of 20. In 2016, he directed the Takakura Ken documentary film "Ken-san," which won the Best Documentary Award at the Montreal World Film Festival and the Japan Film Critics Award for Best Documentary. In 2019, he wrote and directed "Erika 38," planned by Kiki Kirin. In 2021, he produced, wrote and directed "Nameless Day," set in Nagoya. He is currently based in New York.

Movies opening nationwide on October 11, 2024"The Beginning Day"On September 28th, at the 63rd Nagoya Lecture Meeting, we invited director Hibi Yuichi, who worked on the film, as a guest and asked him about the background to the film's production, its appeal, and the thoughts that went into it.
This film tells the story of the revival of a legendary rocker and the birth of a young diva. It stars former JAYWAIL vocalist Nakamura Koichi and singer Harumi, who is garnering attention for her incredible vocal talent, in their film debut. It sets itself apart from traditional musical films with its fascinating world of musical fantasy for adults.

■ How did you decide to work on a film?

My previous film, "Nameless Day," set in Nagoya, was meant to be my last as an auteur, so after that, my mind went blank. However, the COVID-19 pandemic gave me time to think, and it rekindled a long-held desire to make a film that explores the power of song. I believe that humanity has survived in part by borrowing the power of song, from singing together at sports events and festivals to using song to comfort and pray in times of disaster or war. I decided to make this film with the desire to capture the power and sound of song in a film.

■Meeting the two leading actors

I always want to create a challenging production environment, and in this case, rather than a well-known actor, I wanted to cast a lesser-known singer in the lead role. I actually saw a video of Harumi singing on the street on YouTube about seven or eight years ago, and was so captivated by her singing ability that I wrote her name down in a memo. This time, it was a collaboration with Sony Music, and when I asked if there were any newcomers that no one had heard of, I was introduced to Harumi by chance, so I felt it was fate. I met Nakamura Koichi, who plays the male role, by chance, through a previous film, and had the opportunity to see him perform live. I remember being moved to tears for the first time in a long time, and being unable to sleep at night because it coincided with the concept of my own film. He turned down the offer three times due to a lack of confidence in his acting, but I couldn't give up, so I changed the script to suit Nakamura, minimized his lines, and finally accepted the role on the fourth offer.

■Reason for setting the story in Nagoya

I believe one of my jobs is to breathe life into nameless parks and back alleys and create new "sacred places." I lived abroad for 40 years, but when I returned to Nagoya for the first time in a long while due to the COVID-10 pandemic, I witnessed the desolate cityscape and felt inspired to contribute in some way to the revitalization of the local tourism and restaurant industries through film. My family home used to be located directly below the current MIRAI TOWER, so it's a sacred place for me personally, and I also wanted to recapture the original scenery of my hometown, which I left in my teens. This Nagoya-set film was made possible thanks to the cooperation and sponsorship of many companies, including Nagoya City and Chubu Electric Power, and I feel truly honored and grateful.

■ Attention to detail in photography

This time, the drama portion was shot on film rather than digitally. Digital allows you to take multiple takes and keep only the ones you like best, but shooting on film takes time and is difficult to retake, so the tension between the staff and actors is different. As this was the first time the two main characters were acting in a film, we aimed to convey a sense of realism with the tone of film, and we wanted to convey to the next generation through film that in life, you can't do things over or cheat. The singing scenes were shot digitally, but we created a fantasy world view all at once, making the city of Nagoya where everyone is walking look like Paris and the MIRAI TOWER look like the Eiffel Tower. It's a stage film that blends reality and fantasy, incorporating musical elements, and is not often seen in Japanese films.

■What I want to convey through the film

This film tells the story of the rebirth of a 70-year-old rock singer who took the world by storm, and the rise of a shy girl who struggles to speak in public as a diva. The two protagonists forge a friendship through song and encourage each other as they embark on a new life. The title "The Beginning" reflects our hope that this film will be "your first day." The film's message is that the courage to take a step forward will become the first note of a new future, and one day it will become a powerful melody that will play out in a story. I would especially recommend this film to anyone who can't find the courage to take a step forward, or who doesn't want to give up but can't express it well. I believe this film can be shared from Nagoya to the whole country and the world, so please come see it in theaters.

movie"The Beginning'

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on September 28, 2024 by the Student Newspaper Editorial Department