trying to convey...through your film?

RM: Well this is of course, this movie is a complete
fiction, but underlying is ..the hero and me are not the same
person , but underlying it is that through my experience, and
one of the reason(s) I made this film is anyone becomes say
thirty, you sort of stop and looking back at what you have done
and then...what you are doing for the life, what you are doing
for the job or family and so on, which is like thirty is the sort
of turning point, you stop and look and well, happen to be I use
the pornographic movie, I mean pornography as a stage that
anything can happen in the business , whatever you are doing
when you become thirty, you sort of look back, so I use as a
scenery of my life as a pornographic video maker, but my
message is when you become thirty, you think something, so
I expect , I want the people who, just like thirties, wants to see
this movie most.

POTA : So that’s the target audience , the ‘thirty’
crowd.

RM: Yes, so the message is... this movie (will) trigger
you or trigger someone to think as (to) what you have done for
the life, that’s the purpose of the movie.

POTA : O.K. Is there anything else that you would
like to say about the film? For instance, why comedy?

RM: I think its not really comedy, like audience start
laughing , whole audience become crazily laughing and so on,
it’s not that type of comedy...I think it’s ordinary life, living
ordinarily is , from objective point of view, sometimes it’s
funny, you know ordinary people just living ordinarily and if
someone look at those ordinary lives from outside, sometimes
full of real comedy or it’s funny, that type of comedy. Well,
when I showed this film in Tokyo, Japansome foreigner(s) saw
this movie and some people (were) just laughing. So I thought
“hmm...well this could be O.K.” that my message could go
through, to more than a Japanese audience. I arrive(d) in
Vancouver two days ago, but I don’t have any friends here or
anything so... nothing to do, so yesterday I stayed in my room
and I watched t.v., so I saw this ah, one of your adult movies
showing through the t.v. in the room and I thought, well since

POTA: You talk about struggling against the
adversities of life, this character Koriko struggles
against all the things that are working against her in
her life...is that a common theme in your films, that
the character has to struggle against adversity, do
you see life itself as a struggle and are your films a
metaphor for that?

SHUNICHI : The answer is yes, but particularly
one of the predicament of life is to love somebody or
to be loved by somebody, through that love people
hurt somebody, and so to be loved is one of the
difficulty of the life. To overcome the predicament of
love is the major theme of my recent movies.

POTA: So love is a struggle as well. Is there
anything you'd like to say about the film that perhaps
| hadn’t brought up?

Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 3

I thought this is just hard core, there’s no story or anything, just
show. However I found that movie actually using lots of
camera work and lots of technique and actually making real
stuff something fake or fake stuff something look like real. It’s,
they (are) using something to do to making film. So I felt that
“Oh, this is still the people in North America, or in this country,
try to make a movie like we do, or I do.” making some type of
reality, not just showing real intercourse scene. So I felt like,
“hmm there is something in common, common things exist
still.”

POTA : I see, so it’s much more of a... you’re saying
that North American pornography is much more raw than
say, Japanese, which is more erotic and sensual?

RM: What I mean is actually, that pomography as a
media, as a movie an interesting category, as art, because
sometimes if you’re making, for example like a sexual inter-
course they’re not really doing sexual intercourse, but through
the camera work or direction they make phony stuff looks like
real.

Or the other way around , like in Japan(s) case cause of
the law if you’ re doing actual intercourse you have to sortof put
something on...on the surface of the film, make cannot see.

POTA : Censor...

RM: Yes, censored, so actually making something real
looks like unreal, see, so, objectively, making pornography is
something very strange or interesting category, making fake
things real or real things fake, see, so what I saw in the t.v. in
my room is in North America some people doing similar thing
making something as if it’s actually happen it’s not, or something
actually happen but, as if it’s not real. So this is as a making...
as a artistic point of view, | think of pornography as a very
interesting category. Actually you don’t really see the reality,
so youdon’treally show as raw material. So it’s (an) interesting
way of expressing reality . So I found in North America some
people doing same way same thing, I foundit’s very interesting.

POTA : You said earlier Rokuro, that you were not
the character in your film, however, I can’t help but see

SHUNICHI : Well, | told about the philosophical
statement but this is a commercial film, so | was
making in this framework of this movie as a thriller...

Hotel Vancouver staff : One minute...

SHUNICHI : | want the audience to enjoy it, it
doesn’t matter it’s just a pure thriller.

POTA: Thank you very much sir,
SHUNICHI : Thank you.

POTA: Domo origato and | wish you much
success.

SHUNICHI : Domo origato.

Nagasa

| ES

Mochizuki

North America is quite open or tolerant with the porno movie,

that there are similarities, having worked through the
‘pink’ movies to make your own film...was that deliberate
or did it just happen?

RM: Actually I have a production company to produce
the pornographic movie, and when I called my friends to
establish that company, our final goal is, ‘someday we’re
going to make a movie’.

So that’s why we established the production company.
Then finally, we reached the time that actually we could make
a movie, then at that time I start(ed) thinking if I made amade
(a) movie, something completely different (than) what I have
done,that means sending the message to my audience of my
pomographic video, is like “ Oh, I’m making video without
pleasure, just as a job...and what I wanted to do is this !” that
is betrayed to my audience.

POTA : So you’re showing a humourous side to life,
and making a personal statement about how you got to
where you are. I think it’s quite an achievement and I wish
you much success.

RM: Thank you ...domo origato
POTA : Domo origato
(I later learned at the screening of Rokuro's film that the

title was derived from the name ofa popular brand of Japanese
condom. The movie was, incidentally, very funny.)

IN
PERSON

KI

By Grant Chartrand

‘trying to convey..through your film?

RM: Well this is of course, this movie isa complete
fiction, but underlying is .the hero and me are not the same
person , but underlying iti hat through my experience, and
‘one of the reason(s) I made this film is anyone becomes say
‘hiny, you sort of sop and looking back at whatyou have done
and then. .what you ae dong forthe life, what you ae doing
for the job or family and soon, whichis like thiny is the sort
‘of tuming pint, you sop and look and wellhappen tobe use
the pomographic movie, mean pornography as a stage that
anything can happen inthe busines, whatever you ae doing
when you become thirty, you sort of look beck, so use as
soenery of my life as a pornographic video maker, but my
message is when you become thy, you think something, so
Texpeet, Iwant the people who, just ike thirties, wants 1 see
‘his movie most.

POTA : So that’s the target audience , the ‘thirty’
crowd,

RM: Yes, so the message i. this movie (will tigger
_you or trigger someone to think as (1) what you have done for
the life, tha's the purpose ofthe movie.

POTA : O.K. Is there anything else that you would
like to say about the film? For instance, why comedy’?

RM: [think its not relly comedy, like audience start,
laughing, whole audience become crazily laughing and s0.0n,
it's not that type of comedy... think it's ordinary life, living
‘ordinarily is, from objective point of view, sometimes it's
funny, you know ordinary people just living ordinarily and if
‘someone lok a those ordinary lives from outside, sometimes
full of real comedy or it's funny, that type of comedy. Well,
when [showed this film n Tokyo, Japan some foreigner(s) saw
this movie and some people (were) just laughing. So thought
“hmm..well this could be O.K.” that my message could go
through, to more than a Japanese audience. I arive(4) in
‘Vancouver two days ago, but don’thave any friends here or
snything so... nothing todo, so yesterday stayed in my room
and I watched L., so I saw this ah, one of your adult movies
showing through the Lv. in the room and thought, well

POTA: You talk about struggling against the
adversities of life, this character Korlko struggles
‘against all the things that are working against her in
her Ife..ts that a common theme in your films, that
the character has to struggle against adversity, do
you see fe Itself as a struggle and are your flims a
metaphor for that?

SHUNICHI : The answer is yes, but particularly
‘one of the predicament of life Isto love somebody or
to be loved by somebody, through that love people
hurt somebody, and so to be loved is one of the
difficulty ofthe life. To overcome the predicament of
love Is the major theme of my recent movies.

POTA: So love Is a struggle as well. Is there
anything you'd like to say about the film that perhaps
hadn't brought up?

Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 3

Mochizuki

North America is quite open or tolerant withthe porno movie,
[thought this isjusthard core, there's no story or anything, just
show. However | found that movie actually using lots of
‘camera work and lots of technique and actually making real
stuffsomething fake or fake stuffsomethinglooklikereal I
they (re) using something todo to making film, Solel that
"Oh, this isthe peoplein North America,or inthis county,
try to make amovie lke we do, or Ido." making some type of
reality, not just showing eal intercourse scene S0I felt ike,

nm there is something in common, common things exist
sil"

POTA: ste, s0 t's much more of a. you're saying
that North American pornography ismuch moreraw than.
say, Japanese, which is more erotic and. sensual?

RM: What I mean is acually, that pomography as a
media, as a movie an interesting category, as ar, because
Sometimes if you're making, for example like a sexval inter
course they renotreally doing sexual intercourse, but through
the eamera work or dsecton they make phony stu looks like
real.

(Orthe other way around, lik in Japan(s) case cause of
‘the law you're doing actual intercourse youhaveto sortof put
something on..on the surface of the film, make cannot see.

POTA : Censor.

RM: Yes, censored, so actually making something real
looks like unreal, see, so, objectively, making pornography is
Something very strange or interesting category, making fake
things real or eal things fake, see, so what Isa in the Lv in
my room is in North Ameria some people doing similar hing
‘aking omethingasift's actually happenits not or something

8 arse point of view,
imteresting category. Actuslly you don't really see the realty,
soyoudon'trealy show asraw material Soit's(an) interesting
way of expressing realty. SoI found in North America some
people doing same way same thing, Ifoundit’s very interesting

POTA : You sald earller Rokuro, that you were not
the character in your film, however, I'can't help but see

SHUNICHI: Well, told about the philosophical

statement but this is a commercial film, so | was

‘making in this framework of this movie as a thriller.
Hotel Vancouver staff : One minute.

SHUNICHI : I want the audience to enjoy It, It
doesn’t matter i's just a pure thriller.

POTA: Thank you very much sir,

SHUNICH!

hank you.

POTA: Domo origato and | wish you much

SHUNICHI

Jomo origato.

Nagasa

15

that there are_ similarities, having worked through the
‘pink’ movies to make your own film...vas that deliberate
or did it just happen?

RM: Actually [havea production company to produce
the pomographic movie, and shen I called my friends 10
cstablish that company, our final goal is, “someday we're
going wo make a movie"

So that's why we established the production company
‘Then finally, we tached the time that actully we could make
‘amovie, then at that time Istar(ed) thinking if made amade
(a) movie, something completely different (han) what have
onethat means sending the message to my audience of my
‘pomographic video, is like" Oh, I'm making video without
pleasure, just as job..and what I wanted todo is this!" that
is beayed to my audience.

POTA :So you're showing a humourous side to life,
and making a personal statement about how you got to
‘Where you are. think t's quite an achlevement and wish
you much success.

IRM: Thank you ..domo origato
POTA : Domo origato
(U later learned atthe screening ofRoturo'sfilmthat the

ile was derived fromthe name ofapopular brand of Japanese
condom. The movie was, incidentally, very funny.)

iN
PERSON

ki

By Grant Chartrand