Скачать или смотреть UNDER THE OPEN SKY Q&A with Miwa Nishikawa, Koji Yakusho | TIFF 2020

Director Miwa Nishikawa and Koji Yakusho in conversation with TIFF in advance of UNDER THE OPEN SKY's premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. Nishikawa’s touching, poignant redemption drama follows a middle-aged ex-yakuza (Yakusho) as he adjusts to life outside of prison.

The 45th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10 to 19, 2020. For more, visit http://tiff.net.

In her complex and brilliantly textured redemption drama Under the Open Sky, Miwa Nishikawa explores the tensions, insecurities, small joys, and frustrations of Mikami (Koji Yakusho), a middle-aged ex-yakuza who must adjust to his “new normal” when he is released from prison after serving a 13-year sentence for murder.

Mikami’s code of conduct, deeply rooted in the rules of the yakuza society he belonged to, does not fit into Japan’s orderly social welfare system. The world into which he is suddenly catapulted is one he doesn’t understand. Being pitied or looked down on is not part of his cultural baggage; he does not comprehend the social grammar of government aid aimed at finding him poorly paid odd jobs.

Even the predatory media, which initially offered to give Mikami money and help him find his long-lost mother, soon reveal their malevolent intention: to exploit his past and present life experiences for their successful, sensational TV program. If it weren’t for Tsunoda (Taiga Nakano), a young and well-meaning TV director who genuinely wants to help Mikami, life outside prison or the yakuza wouldn’t really be worth caring for.

A nuanced fresco of Japanese society, as well as a character study revolving around the larger-than-life Mikami — masterfully interpreted by Yakusho in one of his best performances to date — Under the Open Sky brings the pains and hopes of life to the silver screen, reminding us of how precious the experience of sharing emotions with others really is.

Miwa Nishikawa was born in Hiroshima. She received a degree in literature from Waseda University, and apprenticed under Hirokazu Kore-eda before embarking on a directorial career. Her films include Wild Berries (03), Sway (06), Dear Doctor (09), and the Festival selections Dreams for Sale (12) and The Long Excuse (16). Under the Open Sky (20) is her latest film.

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