Su Yu Chun is a graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts. “It’s Not that Pig’s Problem” was awarded in PIA Film Festival in 2021. After shooting the short “Down the Road”, he came up with her debut feature, “Inch Forward“, which is her graduation project.
On the occasion of Inch Forward screening at Osaka International Film Festival, we speak with her about films-about-films, the inspiration behind the film and the development of the script, the reason so many Japanese movies have scenes at the sea, Nobuhiro Suwa appearing in the movie and other topics.
The film-about-films category has become quite popular lately. What do you like particularly in this style of movie and why did you choose to shoot one?
I probably prefer the film set to the film. I like metafictional films and I wanted to make a metafictional film from the first planning stage.
Is the story autobiographical? In general, where did you draw inspiration for the movie? Do you identify with any of the characters?
This film is my graduation project. During the project presentation, I presented that I wanted to make a road movie, but I was told that it would be difficult to realize it due to various restrictions at the school. So I had to rethink the project and couldn’t make a decision. Then the scriptwriters, Tetsuya Uehara and Natsumi Ishii, suggested to make a movie how about a director who wants to make a road movie but can’t. That’s how the film came to be.
“Inch Forward” was inspired by Juzo Itami‘s film “Tampopo“, I referred to the story structure with episodes that have connection with the main plot. Because I always imagine the life of someone I pass by or someone sitting on the same train, and wonder where they will go from here. I put in these kinds of sub-stories about film in “Inch Forward”
Check the review of the film
Have you ever considered playing the protagonist part, just like Kiriko in the movie?
I hadn’t never thought about it. But I was actually in the railway crossing scene, the woman with the handy camera is me.
Why do you think so many Japanese indie filmmakers have their movie taking place on the beach?
That’s actually what my friend said to me. But I wanted to include the sea scene, and I was afraid that my friend would say the same thing to me again, so I included that line as a self-deprecating joke. Maybe we all love the beach.
How much was the budget of the movie and what would you change if you had a bigger budget?
The budget is about 2.3 million Japanese Yen. Because of the budget, I shortened the script a lot from the first draft and reduced the characters, so if I had more money, I would like to bring back the scenes and characters from the first draft.
How did the casting work for the movie?
For this casting, I mostly approached actors I knew. As a Taiwanese, I sometimes feel uneasy about directing in Japanese because sometimes it doesn’t work or I feel insecure. The actors I had in this film were all lovely people, and because of rapport and trust, it was easy to talk to them on the set. I think the humanity is more important.
How come you included Nobuhiro Suwa in the cast?
Director Nobuhiro Suwa is my professor. I asked him to appear in the film with no pay because there were so many characters and the budget was not enough. It was interesting to have him in a role that was the complete opposite of Director Suwa, and the result was good.
What is your opinion of the Japanese movie industry at the moment?
From a personal point of view, many independent films are interesting, but the filmmakers cannot raise enough money to make their next film. I wish there were more grants available.
Are you working on any new projects?
I have several projects in mind, and I am writing the script for one of them with scriptwriter Tetsuya Uehara and Natsumi Ishii, who wrote the script for “Inch Forward”.
