On Saturday, November 25th, at 1:45 PM, a screening and talk show for the movie "The Moon" took place at NTT CRED Hal No.1. Director ISHII Yuya stepped on stage after the screening. He shared behind-the-scenes stories of the emotions he had during the film production. The session was facilitated by freelance personality, KIMURA Michita.

This film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Mr. HEMMI Yo, inspired by a real mass stabbing incident at a care home for the severely handicapped. Director ISHII, initially a devoted fan of Mr. HEMMI, was offered the project by the late Mr. KAWAMURA Mitsunobu, the film's planner and executive producer. This was the starting point for the film production.

Dir. ISHII mentioned his inner conflict after being offered the project, especially when it deals with debatable subjects. He expressed, "I knew that what caused this incident was something significant, and had something to do with everyone. I anticipated potential criticism for making a film on a subject everyone avoids discussing, I realized it wasn't just about how I would depict as a filmmaker but about how I would confront this issue as a human being. I felt I had no choice but to tackle it and decided to face it with determination."

Director ISHII also mentioned that he had read all of Mr. HEMMI's novels. He also shared that he tried to interpret the reason why Mr. HEMMI chose to turn this incident into a novel. Dir. ISHII considered this aspect crucial during his process of understanding the material.

Regarding the late executive producer Mr. KAWAMURA, Dir ISHII remembered him as "someone who popularized various things in Japan. He had the talent to find something that attracts people even if it hasn't yet received much attention. I believe this incident involved the essence of numerous societal issues, and perhaps his sensitivity was engaged. I think he did a remarkable job as a producer."

When asked about the cast, the Director replied that he chose actors who shared the same or even stronger feelings than his regarding the film.

Ms. MIYAZAWA Rie played as the lead role, Mr. ODAGIRI Joe acted as her husband, Ms. NIKAIDO Fumi and Mr. ISOMURA Hayato played as a staff member working at the care home.

Dir. ISHII and Mr. KIMURA also discussed the actors' passion and determination. Regarding the character named Sato who is portrayed by Mr. ISOMURA, Dir. ISHII expressed, "Unawareness doesn’t necessarily mean malice. Sato is probably not aware of his own malice. That's why it's so difficult to persuade him to change his way of thinking. I believe that within those who perceive themselves as right and good-natured, there's a higher potential for unconscious malice."

Dir ISHII expressed his desire to create films in the future that deliver courage to audiences. He said, "After watching the film, some people might feel speechless with sadness and despair. Still, I'm happy if they just watched it, and I think there might be some meaning to it. Thank you so much for today!" Accompanied by a round of applause, he bid farewell to the audience and left the venue.