Kiyoshi Kurosawa is captivating audiences this fall with his latest thriller, “Cloud,” a film that explores the petty rivalries of a dubious online reseller that ultimately lead to violent confrontations. This thought-provoking piece serves as a critique of the internet’s power to unite individuals who might not otherwise recognize their animosities. Following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, “Cloud” has garnered acclaim and is set to be Japan’s official entry for the Academy Awards, marking a significant milestone in Kurosawa’s career as a filmmaker.
The director of “Cure” is enjoying a prolific period in his artistic journey. Alongside “Cloud,” he has released two other films this year: “Serpent’s Path,” a French-language remake of his own 1998 thriller, and the 45-minute horror feature “Chime.” Kurosawa is currently on a worldwide festival circuit to promote these projects. This week, he made his first trip to Los Angeles in 15 years, participating in Beyond Fest and an American Cinematheque retrospective that featured all three new films alongside four of his classic works. Amid the excitement, Kurosawa took time to discuss his busy year with IndieWire, through an interpreter.
Reflecting on his workload, Kurosawa remarked, “First and foremost, it was fun. It was probably my busiest year in my entire career.” He recounted his experience in the late 1990s when he managed to shoot five projects in a year, making the recent accomplishment of three films seem feasible. “It was actually a good experience,” he added.
The remake of “Serpent’s Path” marks Kurosawa’s second foray into French cinema, following his 2016 horror film “Daguerrotype.” He revealed that French producers approached him about remaking one of his films, and he immediately chose “Serpent’s Path.” While directing in a foreign language presents challenges, he appreciates the opportunity to work with a team of familiar collaborators from “Daguerrotype.”
“I chose it because the story is good, and the script is solid, but it’s not mine,” he said, crediting Takahashi Hiroshi, known for his work on “Ring,” as the original writer. Kurosawa expressed his desire to reinterpret the story, saying, “I wanted to make it truly mine and take his imprint out of it.”
In “Cloud,” Kurosawa’s trademark ability to capture feelings of alienation is evident in an action film set against the backdrop of online shopping. He explained his interest in the often-criticized practices of online reselling, which he sees as a reflection of broader societal issues. “I had a friend who was a reseller on the internet, so I got curious and asked him how it’s done,” he shared. In Japan, the practice carries a reputation for being dubious. However, Kurosawa argues that it’s a natural outcome of a market-driven economy, stating, “The idea of buy it cheap, sell it high. It’s capitalism. It’s what companies do anyway. This is a path to making a living.”
While “Cloud” addresses the darker aspects of the internet, it is not Kurosawa’s first exploration of this theme. His 2001 film “Pulse” approached the subject through a supernatural lens. He noted the evolution of the internet over the past two decades, which has transformed it into an integral part of daily life. “Now we’re in 2024, and the internet is an everyday tool. It can be used for good and bad. Everyone understands that now,” he explained.
Kurosawa emphasized that the issue lies not in the internet itself, but in the human tendencies it amplifies. “I think the issue isn’t that the internet makes humans isolated and lonely, but that it’s actually lonely humans who seek out the internet,” he said. He believes that the internet has the potential to both exacerbate negative feelings and amplify positive ones. “In the case of ‘Cloud,’ it’s a collection of not only negative feelings, but these multiple people—a collection of multiple bad people,” he noted.
Although much of the focus during Kurosawa’s appearance at Beyond Fest was on “Cloud,” the retrospective allowed viewers to appreciate the breadth of his work. Emerging as a horror director in the 1990s, Kurosawa has navigated various genres throughout the 21st century. With “Cloud,” he has successfully ventured into action, and he is eager to explore new genres inspired by his passion for film history.
“Genre film is film to me,” he remarked. “A producer might come to me with an idea or a script, or I might say, ‘I want to make this kind of film.’ I’m always conscious of how whatever film I’m making fits into overall film history. The process of filmmaking is to discover.”
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