Yoshida Daihachi Analyzes ‘Teki Cometh’

Screening in pageant on the thirty seventh version of the Tokyo Global Movie Pageant, Yoshida Daihachi’s “Teki Cometh” is in line with a 1998 novel through Tsutsui Yasutaka a couple of retired professor, Watanabe Gisuke, who’s quietly dwelling out his ultimate days when he receives a mysterious message on his PC that his “enemy” (teki) is coming.

Starring respected veteran actor Kyozo Nagatsuka as Watanabe and filmed in black-and-white, the movie starts as a file of his day by day life, from his meticulous meal prep – he’s a one thing of a gourmand – to his platonic dating with a former pupil (Takeuchi Kumi) that smolders with an unspoken however glaring mutual hobby.

However as soon as the “enemy” declares its presence, the movie segues into darker, extra traumatic territory as Watanabe’s unquiet goals appear to invade his waking lifestyles, along with his useless spouse (Kurosawa Asuka) resenting what she perspectives as his betrayal – and refusing to stay an insignificant ghost.

In scripting the movie, Yoshida stated in a pre-TIFF interview, that he up to date the unconventional’s descriptions of Watanabe’s interactions with the virtual global – social media has changed the chat rooms of the Nineties – however Watanbe himself stays what Yoshida describes as a “traditionalist, just like the Eastern-style area he lives in.”

His protagonist was once a professor of French literature, now not precisely a historically Eastern pursuit. “He’s an emblem of the Eastern who reside in a tatami room however drink Coca-Cola, who’re at all times in between Western and Eastern tradition,” Yoshida informed Selection. “For Eastern folks, this stance may be very herbal and not unusual.”

Yoshida included autobiographical parts into the movie, together with his depictions of Watanabe’s over-active dream lifestyles. “When I used to be younger, I had many goals that may have been made into films,” he says, “However as I were given older, I had extra goals about issues I noticed the day gone by or worries I had about day after today. Then, I were given to the purpose after I couldn’t inform the adaptation (between dream and fact), so after I awoke, I might suppose for some time, ‘Oh, what a horrible factor I did.’ I’m having increasingly goals which might be practical in a nasty manner.”

Yoshida confesses that he detects different overlaps between his lifestyles and that of his 77-year-old hero, who feels his global getting smaller whilst he tries to search out new beginnings. “I grew to become 60 ultimate 12 months,” Yoshida says. “Ahead of I were in a position to paintings with out pondering an excessive amount of about my age, however now after I get started paintings at 6:00am, I think a little bit bit in poor health. I’m additionally pondering extra about what I will have to do one day, now not just for paintings, but in addition for a way I will have to reside my lifestyles. That is true for now not best me, but in addition the Eastern folks as an entire. There are increasingly outdated folks round me, and the selection of kids is lowering. That makes me really feel uneasy.”

So, when Yoshida reread Tsutsui’s novel after an period of years, its tale of an aged guy seeking to restart his lifestyles whilst pursued through his previous struck him as well timed. “I assumed its theme was once a excellent one for me to paintings on,” he says.

He didn’t, on the other hand, make “Teki Cometh” to impart a message in regards to the provide second. “I actually like the sensation that the target market is lively and engaged,” he says. “So, I’m hoping this movie can determine that roughly dating with the target market. Now not one-sided, however extra like a dream that you just interpret with you personal creativeness. A dream that you need to dream once more.”