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Lee Sang-il, Stars Detail Grueling Kabuki Journey on Cannes Film ‘Kokuho’: ‘I Could Not Hear Anything Except My Own Heartbeats and Breath’
Stars and director Lee Sang-il reveal the year-long training process behind their 50-year Kabuki saga screening at Cannes Directors' Fortnight.
Alongside the actor’s son Shunsuke, Kikuo dedicates himself to the centuries-old theatrical tradition, with their relationship evolving through decades of performances — from acting school to prestigious stages — against a backdrop of “scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals.” Both Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama, who plays Shunsuke, underwent over a year of intensive Kabuki training without relying on performance doubles for the film’s elaborate stage sequences. “When the director asked me to bring out the kind of emotional sediment that builds up over 40 years in the entertainment industry — with all its hardships, joys, and struggles — I felt I could finally connect with the character,” Watanabe explains.
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