Dear Doctor -An interview with Director Miwa Nishikawa and Tsurube Shofukutei, Eita
Photo by Hiromi Yamazaki
This film was selected by the World Competition Category at the 33rd annual Montreal World Film Festival. Regrettably, it did not receive an award, but Dear Doctor is certainly an unforgettable film. Dear Doctor was officially screened on the 2nd of September, and Ms. Miwa Nishikawa, along with leading actors Mr. Tsurube Shofukutei and Mr. Eita gave speeches at the screening. They were welcomed with great enthusiasm by local film fans. Coco Montreal interviewed them.
Why did you choose Mr. Tsurube Shofukutei for the role of fake doctor, Osamu Ino, and Mr. Eita for the role of trainee doctor, Keisuke Souma?
Photo by Martin Dudemaine
Director Miwa Nishikawa (hereinafter called Nishikawa): I had selected Mr. Eita to play the role of Souma from early on. I developed his character with Mr. Eita in mind. In contrast to that, it took a long time for me to decide who I should cast for Ino. I wanted someone who had already reached the very top of his career to play the role, and I was also aware that the mood of the character could change depending on the actor who plays him. Because the character Ino has no opinion of himself and changes his personality to please others, I thought his true character would be hard to grasp. I even changed the script after Ino’s role was cast: Ino’s dialogue went from standard Japanese to the Kansai dialect after Mr.Tsurube was cast. I left Mr. Tsurube in charge of bringing a subtle nuance to the dialect. In the end, Mr. Tsurube brilliantly added more flavour and depth to Ino’s character, and I am very happy about this.
What aspect of the characters did you think was similar to yourself?
Mr. Tsurube Shofukutei (hereinafter called Tsurube): I am a comic storyteller, so if anyone asks if I am an actor, I am not. I felt like I was a fake. Because of this, I thought it was important to be myself while I was acting, rather than thinking about my role too much. I am good at communicating with people, so I got friendly with the older people in the village quickly They would let me use their baths, and would also feed me between shootings. In that sense, I might be somewhat similar to Ino. In Japan, people might see my personality and Ino’s as overlapping, but I am interested in how people from abroad, who don’t know what kind of person I am, perceive the character I played.
Mr. Eita (hereinafter called Eita): I don’t know what similarities I share with the character I played, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable while I was acting. I learned a lot by taking on this role.
Photo by Martin Dudemaine
Tsurube: He (Eita) is a very hardworking man. I really respect how seriously he takes on his role. His popularity has skyrocketed since last year and he has become so busy, but he still managed to fit this into his schedule. I think it’s important for him to attend a foreign film festival and make a speech. I have watched this film four times now, but every time I think to myself, “Eita’s acting is getting better and better.”
What is your favourite scene that you remember from this film?
Tsurube: Mine is the scene where Ino and Souma eat watermelon together, and Ino unexpectedly reveals to Souma the feelings that he has been hiding. I think this is a very good scene.
Eita: I like that scene, too.
Reporter: Isn’t it difficult to eat while you are acting?
Photo by Martin Dudemaine
Eita: I get self-conscious. So I pay attention to other actors who are eating while acting too.
Tsurube: I think I’m good at it. I often mimic eating when I perform “Rakugo*.” Mimicking is one of my skills, even if there is no food in my mouth. Another scene that stands out in my mind is the one where a mother, played by Kaoru Yachigusa, and her daughter, played by Haruka Igawa, are sitting side by side with some space between them. This scene is shot from behind, and you can see their backs. The relationship between the two is portrayed by the distance between them, and their acting–with their backs towards the camera–is superb!
Nishikawa: I was impressed by Ms. Yachigusa again. She is an actress who can act with her back turned to the camera. There is another scene where she expresses her emotions with her back: She is in the kitchen, talking to Ino with her back turned.
Tsurube: Do you remember Teruyuki Kagawa, who played the role of the pharmaceutical company salesman? He is very funny. In the scene where he comes into the clinic saying “hello,” I always think ‘I know someone exactly like him.’ Every time I see this, I laugh and am impressed at the same time.
Nishikawa: Mr. Kagawa never cuts corners while the camera is running. In the scene where he sends the kids off to school, he performed with 100% of his ability. When shooting the clinic scenes with Mr. Tsurube, Mr. Eita, and Ms. Kimiko Yo, who played the nurse, I could feel, just from watching, that they work together well. In this film, the acting of the supporting actors and actresses really shined, and the villagers who participated as extras also added flavour to the film.
Tsurube: The people dancing at the party and the elderly patients were mostly played by villagers.
There are other short scenes which stand out in my memory. For example, the scene with the waving curtain and the one with the melting ice cream.
Nishikawa: I know. All the staff contributed to this film with the goal of “making a good film,” and everyone paid meticulous attention to small details. In a film, feelings can be expressed not only by acting, but also by the movement, variation, and transformation of objects. However, these changes are not natural, but are instead ‘lies’ which we work hard to create. For example, in the scene with the waving curtain, we tried, many times, to find the best movement–with an electronic fan, or a paper fan. Also, in the scene where the ice cream melts in the sink, because ice cream doesn’t melt that fast in reality, we adjusted the melting speed by burying a tiny iron bar underneath the ice cream. We also warmed up the stainless steel sink with boiling water. At the end of the day, the entire crew loves making films.
Lastly, could you tell us your opinions on what a person really needs in life?
Nishikawa: I think people’s hearts change everyday. Something you think is important one day doesn’t seem so important the next, for example. I think it is important to cherish what you think is important each day.
Tsurube: I believe it is important to “accomplish my goals in order.” By getting things done in this fashion, even if I were to die along the way, I think I would be satisfied with
myself.
Eita: For me, I would like to try my best to meet people’s expectations. For people who have negative things to say about me, I make my very best effort to refine my skills to satisfy these people.
Director Nishikawa says “people have so many sides. I would like to portray these sides in my films.” Some film critics praise her for having “the most appealing strength, which is ‘psychological characterization of men’.” When ‘friendliness and goodwill’ changed to ‘animosity and hypocrisy’ in the film, I felt a chill going down my spine. On the other hand, I see female sensitivity and compassion. I praise her global sensitivity and her ability to see things from various perspectives. I have high expectations of her future
works.
I was moved by Mr. Tsurube’s response to his fans at the festival. He took photos with fans, spoke to children on the elevator, and spoke in a friendly manner to local fans on the street. I witnessed him demonstrating what he always values, ‘communication with people,’ and was moved by his gracious personality. I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Eita’s ingenuous personality, in contrast to how he comes off on screen. I was impressed by his acting ability again, and because of this, I would like to show my support of him and his unlimited potential.
* RAKUGO is a traditional comedian, or storyteller, who sits on a cushion in the middle of the stage and tells entertaining stories to the audience.
