From Carlos Reygadas to Hamaguchi’s Cinematographer, Tokyo’s Nippon Cinema Now Directors on Unexpected Connections

A first-time director who messaged Oscar winner Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s cinematographer directly, and a former hunter whose film led Carlos Reygadas to float a collaboration, were among five Nippon Cinema Now filmmakers who shared the unexpected connections behind their work at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). The “How We Make Films” panel at Tokyo […] Tokyo’s Nippon Cinema Now directors on unexpected connections, from Carlos Reygadas to Hamaguchi’s cinematographer Kitagawa Yoshio. A first-time director who messaged Oscar winner Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s cinematographer directly, and a former hunter whose film led Carlos Reygadas to float a collaboration, were among five Nippon Cinema Now filmmakers who shared the unexpected connections behind their work at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).

The “How We Make Films” panel at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, moderated by TIFF programming director Ichiyama Shozo, brought together Ueda Shinichiro (“Earthlings in Love”), Saito Kisin (“Kefi”), Natori Satoshi (“Chihiro | Akemi”), Matsumura Shingo (“Between Us”) and Yaza Takenoshin (“Hinotama: Ball of Fire”) to discuss the making of their radically different features. As he introduced the participants, Ichiyama noted that although the selection typically focuses on newer directors in Japanese cinema, he was interested in bringing Ueda in because of the unique vertical format of