``Over 500,000 viewers'' ``Monster'' director Hirokazu Kore-eda, ``I have a lot to learn from South Korea''... Wonderful film production environment

``Korea is a country where we have a lot to learn.'' Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, a master of the Japanese film industry, visited South Korea to commemorate the 500,000-viewer success of his film ``Monster.'' He highly praised the Korean film industry.
Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said in an interview in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 5th, ``Korea's film production environment is better than Japan's, and the passion of filmmakers is exceptional,'' and ``I hope to encourage more people-to-people exchanges.''
"I hope that there will be more exchange between the Korean and Japanese film industries in a variety of fields." He went on to say, ``There are well-established systems in place to manage working hours and to prevent staff and actors from being exposed to violence.''
``I want to change the Japanese film industry for the better based on the experience I gained in Korea,'' he said. Regarding the reason why he visited Korea for the first time in two months after the release of ``Monster,'' he said, ``At the time of the movie's release.
I wanted to visit South Korea for the first time, but after participating in the Busan International Film Festival, I have now come to South Korea to film a new TV series.'' He continued, ``For 2 nights and 3 days, I met and interacted with the audience, and performed with Song Kang Ho, Bae Doo.''
I also met actors such as Na,'' and added, ``It was a precious time and I think it will remain as a good memory.'' In particular, director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, ``I never thought the movie would be shown for more than two months.''
'', he once again expressed his gratitude for the enthusiastic response from the Korean audience. He said, ``The audience members I met through GV (audience dialogue) constantly asked me questions and openly expressed their love for the movie.''
``I received a lot of gifts, but sometimes I felt embarrassed when I received a portrait of my face,'' she said with a shy smile.
The secret behind ``Monster'' being able to attract 500,000 viewers in Korea is ``screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto's excellent script.''
``Thanks to the charm of two fine boys (Kurokawa Soya and Hiiragi Yota) who were selected through auditions,'' he said, ``This result was only possible because the staff and actors played their roles well.''
He spoke respectfully. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda has particularly close ties to the Korean film industry. Through "Baby Broker" released in 2022, Song Kang Ho, Kang Dong Won, Bae Doo na, IU (
IU) and others. This work was officially invited to the 75th Cannes International Film Festival, and Song Kang-ho became the first Korean to win the Cannes Best Actor Award.
He mentioned Kim Da Mi and Han Ye Ri as Korean actors he would like to work with. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, ``Kim Da Mi and Han Ye Ri are very attractive actors.''
He sent a love message saying, ``If I have a chance, I would definitely like to work together with you.'' ``Monster'', which premiered on November 29th last year, features the unusual behavior of her son Minato.
The story is about a single mother, Saori, who senses something unusual, and through her homeroom teacher, Mori, and her son's friend, Yori, she comes face-to-face with a mysterious incident that she had never known before.
On the 2nd, the 66th day of its release, the cumulative number of viewers exceeded 500,000. The last time a Japanese live-action movie attracted 500,000 viewers was in 2022, after ``Tonight, Even if This Love Disappears from the World.''
It's my first time to experience "things". This is the second-highest box office record for a live-action film in Japan over the past 15 years. He was invited to the 76th Cannes International Film Festival and won the Main Prize for Legs.