Completion screening event of new movie "River's Edge"

The completion screening event of new movie "River's Edge" was held at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills on 31 January which was attended by the director Yukisada Isao and cast members Nikaidou Fumi, Yoshizawa Ryo, Morikawa Aoi, Uesugi Shuhei, SUMIRE and Doi Shiori. The movie will be shown in cinemas from 16 February and has been selected as the opening film for the 68th Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama Category.
The story is based on the same-titled manga by Okazaki Kyoko set in the 1990s where Nikaidou plays the lead character Wakagusa Haruna, a senior high school student while Yoshizawa plays Yamada Ichiro who attends the same school as Haruna and is bullied by her ex-boyfriend Kannonzaki (Uesugi) for being a gay. After saving Ichiro from the bullying, he reveals to Haruna that he and Yoshikawa Kozue (SUMIRE), Haruna's junior, a student model suffering from eating disorders, had discovered a dead body on the river bed. At the same time, Haruna's friend Rumi (Doi) is pregnant but doesn't know who the father is while Yamada's friend Tajima Kanna (Morikawa) is in love with him even though he doesn't feel the same way. Just then, another dead body appears.

The director related that although he was very fascinated by the original manga, he wasn't so keen to get involved in the real-life adaptation. However, due to Nikaidou's strong desire to make this into a reality, this had led to the production of this movie at this time where the world is standing at the edge with an uncertain future. Nikaidou explained that when she was in the second year of senior high school and filming the movie "Himizu", she borrowed the manga from a staff member in the arts department and it left a very deep impression on her. 6 months later, they began the project to make this movie.

With regard to their appearance at the Berlin International Film Festival on 15 February which will be attended by Yukisada, Nikaidou and Yoshizawa, Nikaidou hoped that more people overseas can know about Okazaki's works while Yukisada joked that he was so stressed by her who kept chanting that she wanted to go to Berlin. As for Yoshizawa, since this is going to be his first time at a film festival, he didn't know what to do and asked the director how he should prepare for it. He was also really happy about this film being showcased at the festival especially since his role was so challenging and he spent a lot of effort preparing for the filming.

Sources: Eiga.com / Natalie