From entertainment, we want to deepen understanding of the LGBT community.

Director Naoko Ogigami's latest film, her first in five years, will be released next February. This time, the theme is LGBT and family, giving it a slightly different atmosphere from her previous works. We asked about the background behind choosing this theme and the thoughts she put into the film.

If society accepts it naturally, children will accept it as normal

 

Next February, my new film "When They Seriously Knit," my first in five years, will be released. It explores themes of LGBT (sexual minorities) and family dynamics, centering on the story of Rinko, a transgender woman, her male partner, and his elementary school-aged niece, and their shared life together. The theme for this work came to me when I read an article. It was about a mother of a transgender middle school boy who made him fake breasts. I thought, "Fake breasts?" and was intrigued. The idea that a mother would make something like that for her child struck me as so wonderful. I included a similar scene between Rinko and her mother in the film.

Having lived in America for a long time since my twenties, I probably have a lower barrier to accepting LGBT people. I had many friends like that, completely normally. But Japan still often treats it as something special, and that felt like a disconnect to me. I also wondered how I could talk to my own child about LGBT issues. But if society naturally accepted these people, children would naturally accept them too, right? Living in Japan for so long, I imagine it might be hard to accept LGBT people, but I still believe a different world will come.

This film depicts various family dynamics: a mother who abandons her child yet is still cherished by her daughter, parents with dementia and their children, Rinko's family, and more. Family structures are rapidly evolving now. I myself am unmarried but have a family of four with my partner and child. The producer I worked with while filming in Finland adopted a Thai child.

Parents exist, children exist. I believe there should be room for all kinds of forms. Japan could have more unmarried couples and families raising adopted children. I think it's okay for there to be family structures like Rinko's depicted in the film.

"When They Seriously Knit," Nationwide Release February 25, 2017

One of the protagonists, elementary school student Tomo (Rinka Kakihara)

©2017 "When They Seriously Knit" Production Committee

 

Embracing a Proactive Approach to Filmmaking in Part 2 Following Childbirth

 

I feel like the "second chapter" of my filmmaking has now begun. For this first film of that chapter, I approached it with an aggressive stance unlike anything before. Working with actors like Toma Ikuta and Kenta Kiritani, whom I'd never collaborated with before, was one challenge. The film's somewhat strong thematic focus was another major challenge.

The biggest changes over the five years since my previous film, "Rent a Cat." The most significant was giving birth to twins four years ago and becoming a mother. My own environment changed completely. While I don't think my core consciousness or sensibilities changed that much, a maternal side of myself I didn't know existed emerged, and my relationship with my partner also changed. In that sense, it truly felt like a new, different life had begun. It felt like new relationships were born, and a world different from before opened up.

Also, I'm a real egoist, always thinking "me, me, me" – that part of me was incredibly strong. But having someone whose needs took priority over my own was a fresh sensation I'd never experienced before.

With this project, I hope to create something with a different atmosphere. There's certainly value in continuing to create within the same worldview, but I seem to be the type who wants to keep challenging myself. That said, I can only do what I'm capable of. After making films for over ten years, I can't just decide to make something completely different and start shooting horror or action movies. It's not about deliberately changing what I have; it's about challenging myself based on my years of experience.

LGBT isn't something special—I want people to understand the reality.

 

When I make a film, I don't really think about targeting specific audiences or wanting certain people to see it. I'm still an egoist when it comes to filmmaking; I just have this feeling of "I want to make this, I want to make this." If I didn't feel that way, I think parts of my work would lose focus. But this time, of course, I want the people who've said they like my films to see it, and I also want people who haven't seen my work before to come. I'd be happy if people could come in through the relatively accessible space of entertainment and truly understand the fact that LGBT people aren't anything special.

After so long without making a film, working on set really made me realize this is my purpose in life. I felt it was incredibly interesting—making movies. I was so absorbed and serious I couldn't even say it was fun. I don't want to wait another five years for the next one. I want to keep making films, next year, and the year after that, one after another.