In the shadow of Tokyo's ruthless reconstruction, rising filmmaker Yuiga Danzuka finds canvas and themes in his two-week selection of "A brand new landscape" by his Cannes director. The debut feature turns the building flux in the Japanese capital into a metaphor for home navigation of sadness and disconnection.

“As someone born and raised in Tokyo, I have long felt a complex, incredible emotion about the rapid transformation of the city,” Danzuka said. “When my cultural discomfort with urban life overlaps with my personal feelings about my own family, I instinctively thought it was a story that needed to be made into a movie.”

The film is the return of the famous architect, a father, a estranged father, a renowned architect, a renowned sect, a sibling struggle against the absence of his mother and amid the changing skyline of Tokyo.

Danzuka reveals a subtle point in his hometown after dropping out of school under film producer Kunitoshi Manda:

This urban void becomes a metaphor throughout the film. "As this city changes rapidly, characters - characters with emotional emptiness like this city start to change gradually," he explained.

Comparative Danzuka embraces the stylistic similarities of legendary Japanese director Yasujirō Ozu. "I also have a lot of respect for Ozu, so I feel very honored for the comparison. In fact, in places like pensions, there are regular single cuts and stair shootings, which are actually a tribute to his work."

However, Danzuka's influence exceeded that of Japanese cinemas. "This movie is also influenced by many other directors. As far as contemporary filmmakers are concerned, I took important inspiration from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Edward Yang, David Yang, David Fincher, Leos Carax and Rubenöstlund."

Kodai Kurosaki plays the lead role of Ren Takano, while experienced actor Kenichi Endo (known for his work in Takeshi Kitano's film) plays his father, and is mothered by Haruka Igawa ("Tokyo Sonata"). Mai Kiryu won the Beijing International Film Festival's Flash Forned Strand as the Best Actress for "We Are Adults", playing Ren's sister EMI.

Danzuka has worked with photographer Koichi Furuya to develop a unique visual approach. "I believe that the positioning of the camera plays a crucial role. When we look at the world through the camera, the characters occupy only a small part of the frame, and the rest are filled by cities, buildings and nature."

He explained that this intentional framework serves a specific purpose. "By deliberately treating the space and elements around us like an actor, we aim to create a sense of sacredness and objectivity. This objective view in turn allows the audience to vividly perceive the emotional transformation of the characters they are connected to."

Unlike many directors who have carefully planned their performances, Danzuka spontaneously was on the scene. "I don't make too many decisions about the actors before shooting. Sometimes it's changed or cut. If the actors have a hard time delivering a line during rehearsals, we usually remove it from the script."

The production faces real-world challenges, ultimately enhancing the theme of the film. "This is the scene on the footbridge at the end of Ren and Emi Talk. The location originally planned for us after we started shooting is under construction," Danzuka revealed. "Being able to shoot the scenes in the city's reconstruction is a unique and valuable experience, which is unique to the film."

Looking ahead, Danzuka plans to continue exploring the city theme. "I feel that people living in cities may continue to be the core theme in my work. I'm also interested in genres like science fiction that portray future cities because they can include a wide range of themes."

When asked about the potential of the film to resonate internationally, Danzuka highlights its universal core: “This movie starts in a very personal place, but it involves a universal theme of the family, and I hope this aspect resonates with international audiences.”

Siglo Ltd., a Japanese production company founded by Tetsujiro Yamagami, has produced the "New Landscape", which has previously received numerous international accolades, including Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. It is produced in collaboration with Lespros Entertainment. Luxbox is handling international sales.