Rie Miyazawa appears in the inaugural issue of L'OFFICIEL JAPAN
Actress Rie Miyazawa and photographer Kazumi Kurigami are on hand to welcome the two. Enjoy the sympathy between these two talented individuals, befitting the launch of L'OFFICIEL JAPAN.
"Be bold and violent," said Kazumi Kurigami, lighting the fuse and starting a thrilling shoot with Rie Miyazawa. Kurigami has been at the forefront of commercial photography for over 60 years.
From Robert De Niro, Shintaro Katsu, Keith Richards, and Takeshi Kitano, to the unconventional icons of their time, to ordinary people, Kurigami is a master who has continued to capture the essence of these people. Miyazawa, 37 years younger than Kurigami, respectfully calls him "Misao-san."
"There are methodologies for the act of pressing the shutter, such as carefully capturing the subject's image, but for me, I press the shutter reflexively and it feels like my gaze is instantly reflected on the subject. So if the subject doesn't have the speed to respond to the speed at which I press the shutter, the rhythm won't match. In that sense, Rie Miyazawa is special. I've been taking pictures of her since I was 16, and of course her images are beautiful and have a strong presence, but more than anything, she moves towards the camera the moment I press the shutter, so I have hardly ever given her any verbal instructions until now."
When Kurigami said this, Miyazawa replied, "Yes, it's probably closer to music than photography. Misao presses the shutter, and I go along with the rhythm. That's why I think the word "session" is perfect. It's very similar to when musicians create a rhythm, and each part adds their own sound to create a song."
Furthermore, he asserts that fashion photography is not just about wearing clothes from the latest collection and taking pictures of them.
"The best part of a fashion shoot is working as a team with the hair and makeup artists and stylists to choose from the clothes prepared, and deciding what kind of makeup to use. The images of everyone come together to create the mood of the moment, or in other words, the fashion. It's a very exciting moment when we unleash what we've created in the makeup room in front of Misao."
Fashion sometimes reflects the trends of the times. One message to convey now is not to be too brave.
"Misao's eyes are not only the one looking into the camera, her other eye is always open as well. She is always looking at me not only through the lens, but also with her own eyes. That sense of tension has continued ever since we first met. We met when I was just a young girl of 16, and she has been watching me closely as I have grown up and become a mother. Now that my mother is gone, knowing that Misao has accepted me gives me peace of mind, and I feel like I can move on to the next step."
Inspired by photojournalism, including that of Robert Capa, Kurigami set his sights on becoming a professional photographer and went independent at the age of 27. He had long respected the photographer Robert Frank, and after photographing him when he was 90, close to the age that he is now, Kurigami developed a strong relationship with him, to the point that he accompanied Frank to his hometown of Hokkaido. He is not a man of many words, and one could even say he is taciturn, but he has a gentle personality that helps to unhook his subjects. This style has not changed even when he works abroad, going beyond Japan.
I've been working with foreign language staff and creators since the 70s, and every time I do so, I just follow what I see with my eyes, and I never think of my way of life as being different, whether it's in Japan or the world. Wherever I go, wherever the world I see, I always find something interesting. That's all."
Since her teenage years, Miyazawa has played complex female roles in films such as Teshigahara Hiroshi's "Gohime," Yamada Yoji's "The Twilight Samurai," and the late Ichikawa Jun's "Tony Takizawa." She says she is surprised and delighted to see that many people across borders are now accessing her past works through streaming channels.
"Japan is proud of its culture and history, of course, but I feel that nowadays there are more opportunities for the work of individual artists and creators to reach people all over the world. In that sense, the power of distribution through social media and the like is great. I am very happy that people of today have the opportunity to see my past works, and I think it is wonderful that the works themselves have a long life. On the other hand, I would like to express myself in a way that will leave a deep impression on the hearts of those who see them, so that they do not get buried in the overflowing information. I myself would like to continue traveling, not losing my curiosity, visiting things that attract my heart, experiencing them directly, and facing them deeply. Japan has a lot to be proud of in its culture, and I think that it can also be found in pop culture such as animation, but I often feel that in the end it all comes down to individual creation. Until recently, you had to make a strong presence from Japan to be discovered, but now there are an increasing number of creators who can catch the attention of Westerners in their areas of interest without doing anything special. I feel that my work is becoming more and more relevant. Personally, I'm glad that my past films are being seen by more people through streaming channels, and that there are so many more opportunities to be had as long as I'm alive. That's why I don't want this convenience to be taken as mere information, with nothing left for the viewer. I think that I need to leave a mark on the sensibilities of those who do come into contact with my work. As an individual and an artist, I think that I should never forget to travel, to step out of social media and experience works with my own eyes. I need to avoid thinking I know everything. I want to reach out into a deeper, more profound realm."
To deeper, unseen places. To expressions that expand one's territory. That greedy attitude is clear when one looks at the challenges Miyazawa has taken on in recent years. As a stage actress, in 2024, she will play the lead role in Virginia Woolf's "Orlando," directed by Tamiya Kuriyama, and will cross time and space over 350 years, from male to female. The values of the time create invisible frameworks that restrict Orlando's code of conduct, but the character who easily transcends them resonates even more because we are now somehow closer to the time of Woolf, who experienced two wars, World War I and World War II.
Last year, she starred in director Ishii Yuya's "Moon," which was inspired by a real serial murder case, and gave a painful performance about the discrimination that lurks deep in people's hearts. From November 9th (Saturday), she will appear in Sato Jiro's latest play "That Life" at Setagaya Public Theater. Sato wrote the play inspired by musician Nakamura Kaho's song "That Life" (2018), and the theme is the "gap" that arises in the triangular relationship between Miyazawa, a caregiver played by Miyazawa, her employer, a disabled woman, and her husband. The role of the employer, Soma Hana, is played by a double cast, and is also attracting attention for being played by a person with a disability, Yoshiyama Akira from the movie "37 Seconds" and Joko Nika from the drama "The Two in the Middle" (NHK/24).
"There are some very humorous scenes and elements of suspense, and in the end, it's a play that brings to the surface the kind of passion that lies deep in people's hearts. If I say it's passionate, I wonder if fewer people will come to see it. But these days, if you describe something as deep, more and more people will stop going, and I think that's a sad trend. I personally find stories that are packed with many different elements interesting, and I want to be someone who can express both hope and despair. After all, there is despair within hope, and hope can be hidden within despair, so I don't think the world is just one-sided. There are things deep in people's hearts that aren't sparkly or shiny. But there may be something beautiful there too. I hope we can find it together."
Rie Miyazawa's journey into the depths of the human heart serves as a beacon guiding us into a phase of the unknown.
Rie Miyazawa
Born in 1973. Made her film debut in 1988. Since then, she has been active in a wide range of roles as an actress. She has won numerous awards, including the Moscow International Film Festival Best Actress Award, the Japan Academy Prize Best Actress Award, and the Grand Prize and Best Actress Award at the Yomiuri Theater Awards, and has received high praise. Her recent appearances include the stage productions "Anna Karenina" (directed by Philip Breen), "Bones and Contempt" (directed by Keralino Sandorovich), "Orlando" (directed by Tamiya Kuriyama), and the film "The Moon" ( directed by Yuya Ishii ) . In November 2024 , she will appear in the stage production of "That Life" (written by Jiro Sato/directed by Yasuyuki Tsutsumi).
Photography KAZUMI KURIGAMI
