Schütte: „Can you tell us a little bit of what you did, while shooting RASHOMON?”

Nogami: „I had no experience in cinema. Before joining the studio, I was working at a magazine as a writer and editor and then I joined the studio and just after a very short time he came to shoot RASHOMON and I worked for him as a scriptor. I mean, I was in charge of the continuity. But I knew nothing about it. So I think I didn't really help him a lot. But anyway, what I can say is that it changed my life. It had a big influence in my life.”

Yôji Yamada: „It was not an influence, I think, it changed your life.”

Schütte: „I would just like to hear for the public – we talked about it before – a little bit about shooting RASHOMON in the woods. You were very careful in the beginning, because it was kind of a beautiful small wood behind the studio, where the film actually was shot.”

Nogami: „The time of the shooting was in 1950, just five years after the war had ended. And at that time, the Japanese were very poor, they didn't have really good things to eat and their life was really terrible, so it was a really big challenge to make such a film at that time. So, I think it was very brave to decide to make such a film. At that time, Kurosawa already shot some master pieces, but that film was really a big challenge, because he had – as I said Japan was very poor – they had a very tight schedule. It's unbelievable to think that he shot such a film in just one month. But not only one month was very short, just four days before the release of the film, which was scheduled, there was a big fire in the studio and the film nearly burned. The film was supposed to be released on August 25th, and on the 21st there was a big fire. And the dubbing had to take place on the 24th and then the film was carried to Tokyo just in time. It was really, really a big miracle that this film could be shot and produced.”

Schütte: „Mr. Yamada, you have seen Mr. Kurosawa working and we have a small clip prepared, which shows you and Mr. Kurosawa and I would like to know.”

Yamada: „That's many, many years, quite a few years after RASHOMON. They say I'm a perfectionist, but I don't know anybody, who is not a perfectionist. They say I look like I'm always angry, but I don't think I'm always angry, because nobody can be angry all the time. No human being can survive when always being angry. I think I don't mind if a crowd comes to see the shooting, because if they are quiet, it is very nice. All our generation have grown up and seen films by Kurosawa. And many of us decided to become a director after seeing his films. So, it is very impressive to be on the set with him, because you feel he breathes with the actors. It is very impressive. Mr. Kurosawa asked me: ‚Did you see anything, we can improve? Can we improve something?’ And I was very embarrassed at the time that he should address such a question to me.”

Schütte: „This was during RHAPSODY IN AUGUST, wasn't it?”

Yamada: „Yes, this was during the shooting of RHAPSODY IN AUGUST. When the big master asked me, ‚Did you see anything to improve?’, I was very embarrassed, I didn't know how to answer. If I'd say something, maybe he would be furious!? But at the same time, if I don't say anything, he might also be furious. So that was a very delicate situation. For me, I always had a lot of admiration for Mr. Kurosawa, so it was very impressive to be asked. I just needed to be near him and I was already happy. Really, I was very happy when I was able to be near him.”

Nogami: „But you did have a lot of discussions with Mr. Kurosawa about many things, I think? So, you came on the set for the first time for RHAPSODY IN AUGUST and then you came quite often and also in the next film, which was MADADAYO.”

Yamada: „I always wanted to see his shooting and this was Ms. Unigami, who arranged everything, she introduced me to Kurosawa. I'm really grateful to her that she introduced me. And now I am very grateful to her to have written the original work on which I based my film. I'm full of graditute to Mrs. Unigami.”

Schütte: „They is a saying, there are two types of directors on the set: the gardener, who's watering everybody, or the dictator. So, what kind of director, what kind of style did Kurosawa have in directing? What was he famous for?”

Yamada: „The second type of course!”

Schütte: „Maybe it's the moment to note there is a beautiful memoir written by Mr. Kurosawa and it's published in German, I think and it's really a wonderful book to read.”

Yamada: „I would like to tell a short story. I am very fond of telling my relationship with Kurosawa. I'd like to share it with you. I remember that I received a call from him and Kurosawa had just completed writing the first script of his last film MADADAYO, that was in 1992. I got a call and he was writing in his country house in Gotemba and he called me and said: ‚Would you like to come and read the book I have just completed?’ So, and when I arrived there was this thick script he had just handwritten. It was just lying there, waiting for me. And the title was written: MADADAYO.”

Schütte: „It was written by hand?”

Yamada: „Yes, it was written by pencil. He wrote by hand and like this. And he said to me: ‚You want to read it?’ So, I'm the first reader of that last film. I was beyond happyness. And I said: ‚Yes, I would be most happy to read it!’ So, he took me to the next room, brought the script and said: ‚Please, take your time and read it.’ And I was very excited and frightened. So, I would have read half of the script and the door would be opening and then Kurosawa would show up and say you know, he would see how much I read the book, I took one page and then one page and I would have read 2/3 of the book and he would check how many pages remaining and I would read and read and read and really come to the end of the film… really a few pages. And then, the door opens and Kurosawa looks very bright smiling and he would come inside the room. There is a radio cassette there and it was already set. So, and he pushed the button and at that time he said: ‚This scene, this music, will come on this scene.’ I was so surprised. He was really, he was more than 80 years old at that time and he was like a little boy playing a game. And he was saying: ‚You see, it must be like that at the end of the film.’ And I really thought at that time, you always have to keep your heart of a young boy to make good things, to realize great things. And I was so impressed. And at that time, that was the music he made me listen to, saying this would be at the end of the film. And that was the music he used in the film. Yes that was it.” 

Nogami: „I really like this story of Yôji Yamada. I think it tells a lot about Kurosawa. He is very simple. There is no decoration. He gives all his heart.”

Yamada: „You know, at the end of the film, the main character goes back to his memories of when he was a young boy before passing away and that's the music that goes with the images of his memory recollection. It's Vivaldi. That's the music of the last scene of Kurosawas last movie and then you have the credits rolling up.”

Schütte: „I want to thank Mrs. Nogami and Mr. Yamada very much for sharing their memories. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to talk about KABEI but you also already talked about it at the festival, so I hope, you excuse me. So, we're all going to go and see KABEI and we all go home now.”