ARASHI TRANSLATION

19.02.28 - Nino New Film "Asada Family" (Temporary Title) to Release in 2020 - Introduction + Nino Comment - Ninomiya Kazunari

... Introduction
The subjects of the photography is the family of four - father, mother, elder brother, and me.

Taking photos of various situations in cosplay with the theme “I would like to try this with my family”, photographer Asada Masashi produced unique family photos to the world.

The photo album “Asada Family” which includes such photos in which the family cosplayed bandmen, firemen, ramen restaurant owners etc. gained good reception with its depiction of an intimate family with lots of smiles and laughters, and was awarded the Kimura Ihei Award (2008) which is regarded the Akutagawa Prize in photography.

In addition to the photo album “Asada Family”, he produced an album “Power of Album” which filmed the people who participated in the volunteer activity of cleaning the albums and photos that became muddy during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and sending them back to their original owners, Asada-san is a unique existence in the current Japan photography world.

Taking this these two photo albums “Asada Family” “Power of Album” of Asada Masashi as original story, Director Nakano Ryota who swept the film awards of 2016 with his film "Her Love Boils Bathwater"(’16), will take the challenge of filming this real family story with his unique vision and screenplay!

The story of the film will explore in-depth “What is a family?” with the photographer Asada Masashi, brought up as the second boy in the family of four and who liked taking photos since a child, as the main character, illustrating the “bonding of love” and “past and now” of the family with humour.

The meaning of taking photos of “family” which is a troublesome but adorable, familiar and irreplaceable existence, the meaning of the action of leaving memories and feelings in the photos. What is “photos”? What is “hometown”? What is “family”?

This film added original elements on top of the true story to depict the growth of the photographer Asada Masashi who started photography and went through the unprecedented disaster Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and still takes photos of his family.

Ninomiya Kazunari will act the main character Asada Masashi.
He acts the character, a free person full of humanity who lives as he pleases and will be pardoned of whatever he does, with his overwhelming existence and acting skills.

His co-cast is Tsumabuki Satoshi who always devotes himself to challenge a wide variety of characters from good teenager to killer in “What a Wonderful Family!” series, “Villain”, and “Rage” etc.
Tsumabuki who supports the Japan film industry with his promising acting skills will act the gentle elder brother Yukihiro who warmly watches over his mischievous young brother Masashi and reluctantly accompany Masashi’s request of cosplay photos.

Ninomiya Kazunari and Tsumabuki Satoshi who act together for the first time will act the true brothers under the first-time collaboration of young genius Director Nakano Ryota!

... Story
In the family of four with father, mother, elder brother (Tsumabuki Satoshi), the second son Asada Masashi (Ninomiya Kazunari) liked taking photos since he was a child. Masashi takes photos of “things that I feel happy to film, and that I feel excited about”. His family was characteristic and relaxed, and his girlfriend Wakana was his friend since childhood. Masashi who studied in photography college chose his family to be his subject in his graduation project, with theme “to express myself through just one photo”. That photo was the scene of memory of the real Asada family with the family members cosplayed to reproduce the scene. That work was awarded the principal award.

After graduation he returned to his hometown, he did not have regular work and was indulged in the slot machine in a pachinko parlour. Right after three years, Masashi who finally moved forward to taking photos again chose “family” as his subjects. He took various family photos with the theme “people I wanted to be”. With that as a start, he broadened his imagination on family photos, and set up various situations, and had his family members cosplayed to reproduce the scenes, and took photos to record these situations. When he held his individual photo exhibition, a publishing house favoured his photos and published a photo album for him. That photo album “Asada Family” was awarded the 34th Kimura Ihei Award.

Masashi then started his professional activities as a photographer smoothly, and began to take family photos across the country. However, he felt puzzled when he interviewed a family and explore how to take unique photos of that family. “What is photo? What does the action of taking family photo mean?” Masashi asked himself, and became unable to take the photos.

At that time, when he was right preparing his exhibition, Tohoku earthquake and tsunami occurred.

... Comment
■Ninomiya Kazunari
Q. Co-act with Tsumabuki Satoshi-san for the first time
I watched many of his acting, I was moved that he was really a skillful actor. When we act together, I feel like my coarse acting would stand out, even I want to escape in order not be caught by this, I would finally be caught (giggle).
However, this is a rare opportunity so I shall very much look forward to it.

Q. Do you have different way of creating the character when this time you act a real person?
Because normally I don’t do things like creating character, this time I also shall not do this, while when the costume and hairstyle is confirmed, among various discussion, I think the character would come out at the filming sites.

Q. About joining Nakano team for the first time
When I watched his films I thought that he was a director full of affection.
When we actually went to the location filming sites for preliminary inspection, he also explained various things to me, he really conveyed his love towards this work, I would like to do my best to respond to his expectation. It is my honour to be able to work on this film with him.

■Tsumabuki Satoshi
Q. Co-act with Ninomiya Kazunari-san for the first time
I am happy that finally we are able to work together.
I have been close to Ninomiya-san but we had no fate to co-work.
I believe that Ninomiya-san who has rich sensitivity would act Masashi freely and charmingly.
I shall stay beside such Ninomiya-san and support him.

Q. Do you have different way of creating the character when this time you act a real person?
I was deeply moved by the words from the elder brother that “it is the greatest filial piety that Masashi and I remain in good relationship”.
It is not an easy thing to wish for other’s fortune more than his own.
I shall love Asada family earnestly with such passion in my heart, that’s it.

Q. About joining Nakano team for the first time
I can’t help but looking forward to it.
Though in rough form, it would be great if I can support Asada family steadfastly as the elder son.

■Director Nakano Ryota
About four years ago, producer Ogawa Shinji-san gave me a photo album and said he would like to make “this family” into film. The photo album illustrated a family which was so extraordinary that I’ve never seen before, but it was so comical, so relaxed, and so nostalgic. To me who have been filming families in my films, this is a terribly attractive family. This was the photo album "Asada Family".

So, who should be acting this real and attractive family? I want them to look real in the film, I want them to have the gentleness which is attractive to people, and I want them to have bit sorrow, so I had a strong request on the casting. This time, I am more than happy that my offers of acting the brothers are received by Ninomiya Kazunari-san and Tsumabuki Satoshi-san as I wished.

This film illustrates the love of family, and the volunteer activity of cleaning the disaster photos and return them to the original owners, which actually occurred during Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, through cameraman Masashi, the second son of Asada family. It is a story based on real stories, I shall film it with sincerely, carefully, and daringly, this film would be a great challenge to me.

... Film info
Direction: Nakano Ryota
Screenplay: Nakano Ryota, Kanno Tomoe
Producer: Ogawa Shinji
Original story: Asada Masashi "Asada Family" "Power of Album" (AKAAKA Art Publishing)
Production: Toho, Bridgehead, Pipeline
Distribution: Toho

Source: https://www.j-storm.co.jp/movie/news/6803

Asada Masashi : http://www.asadamasashi.com/
"Asada Family" : https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4903545261/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_N1YDCbH7E1ZJR
"Power of Album" : https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4865410287/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_f2YDCb375AEB4