“The idea sprang out of a class assignment at graduate school, where we were asked to write about someone we know. I picked someone in my life who is the least likely person to be portrayed as a heroin in a movie. She seems to be hiding her true feelings most of the time, so I wanted to imagine what would make her say what she really wants to say. Then I wanted to give her an alter ego. That’s how Lucy was born. I also drew it from my own experience as a 17-year-old exchange student in the U.S., where I was exploring my own Lucy…
All my previous films have been dramas, so I initially challenged myself to write a straight up comedy. But the story kept pulling me back to drama. I guess it’s in my bones. I also believe that in life nothing is ever one thing. I’m also literally the kind of person who laughs at a funeral. Tonally, this story made the most sense to me, and felt honest.
People in Japan often wear thick social masks to live harmoniously in the small islands. We also need a place to escape sometimes, so that we can take these masks off and keep equilibrium in life. In the US, I feel it's completely the opposite, where one is encouraged to self-disclose and express one’s needs and feelings constantly. I wanted to play that contrast.
Terajima-san is simply phenomenal. Acting comes so naturally to her, and she makes acting look so easy and effortless. She comes from a very long family line of Kabuki performers. I believe that it's in her DNA.”
