Isao Yukisada's latest film is just another love story, but with two men

Movies

Published: 12 Feb. 2023, 16:56

Isao Yukisada's latest film is just another love story, but with two men

Actor Tadayoshi Okura in Japanese film ″The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese″ [HOLY GARDEN]

Japanese director Isao Yukisada wants the audience to understand that the love story in his new film “The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese” is about human connections between two people who happen to be men — defining the film as a queer or LGBTQ drama is useless in his eyes.

“I did not make this film thinking too much about whether it is LGBTQ, queer or anything else,” said Yukisada in a roundtable interview in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 10. “Many people seem to think that we made this film because of the so-called trend nowadays to embrace diversity. But the original manga series of the same name was published over 10 years ago in Japan, and I think this tale of love between two human beings is timeless.”

The original manga series, on which the film “The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese” is based, was a huge hit and received rave reviews from the public, even back when romance stories between people of the same gender were never talked about in the open, according to Yukisada. The central story involves two men who were formerly classmates who meet again and fall in love.

Director Isao Yukisada poses for a photo during a roundtable interview at a cafe in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 10. [HOLY GARDEN]

“The title of the manga series and our film refers to an old Japanese saying: ‘a cornered mouse bites’ — but the twist here is that the cornered mouse dreams of cheese,” said Yukisada. “The dream in the title could refer to each of the two main characters, or to a time when we as human beings meet other people and spend an unforgettable time together.”

While Yukisada did not set out with a special agenda or a political message with “The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese,” he did want to show through the film that love transcends gender.

“I hope that in a few years, my film will be received as another ‘ordinary’ love story,” Yukisada said. “We as individuals meet others, fall in love — whether it be between men and men, women and women, or women and men — and hurt each other. That is all the same. I wish that we could all understand ‘other’ forms of love than what we are used to.”

Regarding the original manga series behind “The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese,” the director talked about the way in which the series brought about a discourse on such “other” forms of romance in Japanese viewers.

Director Isao Yukisada poses for a photo during a roundtable interview at a cafe in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 10. [HOLY GARDEN]

“I myself did not know of the manga series when it was first published in 2006,” said Yukisada. “But I knew that it received tremendous support and many readers rooted for it even back then. Japan used to be a society that did not accept such love. I think, though, that this story is something universal, that transcends time and whatever other restrictions.”

“The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese” has gained attention for the intense physical scenes between the two male leads. These scenes were actually easier to film with the male actors, according to Yukisada.

“Intensely expressed physical love scenes are being filmed less and less in Japan,” said Yukisada. “But I wanted to show on screen the extent of the two characters’ feelings for each other and at the same time wanted to display an equal amount of intensity between male-male and female-male couples.

“When we film a love scene with female actors, there is so much to consider and be careful about. But with two male actors, I think I felt more at ease as a director,” said Yukisada. “It was an experience I hadn’t had before.”

Yukisada also addressed the recent resurgence in popularity of Japanese productions such as “Slam Dunk” in Korea and the ongoing collaborations between Korean and Japanese filmmakers.

“I think the popularity of ‘Slam Dunk’ in Korea is partially due to the generational appeal that the film has,” said Yukisada. “That film is about the passion and hard work of those of us in that generation who read the manga series, and has another sort of universal appeal.”

Actors Ryo Narita and Tadayoshi Okura in Japanese film ″The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese″ [HOLY GARDEN]

On collaborations between Korean and Japanese filmmakers and the influence that each group can have on the other, Yukisada was careful to outline his thoughts on the matter.

“I think it is artistically productive that we influence each other,” said Yukisada. “But I also think that we each have something unique to bring to the table — Japanese filmmakers should stick to what Japan can do best, while Korean filmmakers also have their own strengths. We both need to be open to influences yet not be changed too much from what we can innately express.”

Yukisada emphasized that more and more collaborations between Korean and Japanese filmmakers are in the works already.

“These collaborations are inevitable in a sense,” said the director. “And the quality and strength of Korean content are known worldwide now. I am around the same age as director Bong Joon-ho of ‘Parasite,’ but I feel that there is a huge gap between him and I. I want to learn the core of what makes Korean content so appealing.”

Yukisada’s new film “The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese” opened in Korean theaters on Feb. 8.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]