story
Natsume Hamanaka, who lost her own eyesight, her beloved brother, and even her career as a police officer, was involved in a car accident one day. He pursues the case using clues from hearing, touch, smell, and other senses. The case eventually develops into a "serial murder case of high school girls," and the bizarre murderer is closing in on Natsume as she tries to get to the bottom of it....
I imagine it must have been difficult for you to play the role of a blind man.
Yoshioka:Yes . There were many items that were required of me in acting. Being blind, acting with Pal as a guide dog, and the action scenes. It was difficult because these three things were interlinked.
. What was your impression when you were approached?
Yoshioka:. When I read the script, I thought that the story had one plot line. I thought that the character of Natsume would become blurred if I did not properly express the core of the character, that she is consistently strong and has a sense of justice despite her handicap of being blind.
What did you do to prepare before you started working on the film?
Yoshioka:Preparation for the film started two months before the crank-in. First, we interviewed three visually impaired people, including one who lives with a guide dog, in order to express their blindness. We asked them about the rhythm of their lives from the time they wake up in the morning until they go to sleep at night and about their real-life experiences, and then we compared them to the story in the script and asked them, "Isn't this movement unnatural in this scene? We then compared it to the story in the script and asked, "Isn't this movement unnatural in this scene? I wanted to be convincing in my portrayal of Natsume, so I was very grateful for everyone's willingness to help me.
There were scenes from your days as a police officer.
Yoshioka:Since I played the role of a police officer who graduated from the police academy at the top of her class, I was given guidance on how to move in a cool way, and I was given actions to make my movements look cool. The police officer who gave me guidance this time was a so-called veteran, but I also talked to a female police officer of the same age.
I see that you have done a lot of preparation for this project.
Yoshioka:Yes . It was not something that could be done with a false edge, so we built it up little by little.
Are there any things you learned for the first time during the interview?
Yoshioka:I was surprised when a visually impaired person said to me, "I spend every day in a pitch-dark room. I realized that I had no idea what it was like to be blind. This is reflected in the scene in the play where he spends time in a pitch-dark room.
. Since you play a visually impaired character, you must have given a lot of thought to the movement of the eyes, right?
Yoshioka:Yes . We discussed the project with Director Mori as we went along. Before we started filming, we also had time for a camera test. I was able to talk constructively with the director, cameraman, and staff about how best to express the film as a thriller and how to present it effectively, and I felt that the interaction was very responsive.
What is it like, for example?
Yoshioka:First of all, we were told that we should try to avoid expressions in which the person's face is down or not facing the other person. Although it is possible to "look as if you can't see," it is not an interesting expression for a movie, so we decided to shoot in a style where the viewer looks at the other person when they are talking to each other. The director checked the monitors for eye movements, and if the eyes moved even slightly ahead, we had to redo the shot. Thanks to our meticulous filming, I think we were able to create a film that is both realistic and entertaining at the same time.
. Please tell us about your story with Pal, the guide dog who plays the role of a guide dog.
Yoshioka:My time with Pal was a bit special. Pal was approached as a guide dog, not in the role of a pet, so it was first of all different as a feeling from when I usually interact with dogs. A person who has spent time with a guide dog said, "It's cute, but it's an essential partner in my life, and it's like a part of me. I too would say, "How cute! and I tried not to play with them as much as possible. But there were times when I still couldn't resist (laughs).
Hold back as long as you can.
Yoshioka:Yes . I tried to spend time with her as if we were partners. I remember that before we started cranking, I put on an eye mask and practiced walking with Pal, but I don't think he felt at that time that he was going to be in the movie with me. . we were just running together and taking a walk. Palu is an actor's dog trained to play the role of a guide dog, so he should have learned to avoid obstacles and to walk on the left side of the road, but I guess he was just having fun, because he ran into a puddle of water. But then he would go into a puddle of water and go, "Wow, paroo! (laughs).
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