The last that ever she saw him carried away by a moonlight shadow…Banana Yoshimoto‘s famous novel published in 1986 was indeed inspired by Mike Oldfield‘s most emblematic song (1983). The main character, Satsuki, is a young woman “coming to terms with the death of her boyfriend, Hitoshi, in a car accident and her friendship with her boyfriend’s brother, Hiiragi, whose girlfriend, Yumiko, also died in the same accident. With Japanese cultural and surrealistic themes, it is an example of Yoshimoto’s clean writing style that portrays the emotions of grief, loss, and hope.” (from Wikipedia)
Actress Komatsu Nana is Satsuki thus taking the lead in the novel’s adaptation by Singapore born Malaysian director Edmund Yeo (We, The Dead – Malu…). Set for release next fall.
Moonlight Shadow Official Links: Film Site – Twitter – Instagram
Comment by Banana Yoshimoto (excerpt): Moonlight Shadow is a memorable novel I wrote when I was 24, about the same age as Ms. Komatsu (…) When I heard that Ms. Komatsu was going to play the main character Satsuki, I felt that she would be able to recreate the feelings I had at that time. I had the impression that Ms. Komatsu was a very seasonal and powerful person, but I could feel the “darkness” of this story in her, so I thought she was a perfect fit.
Comment by Director Edmund Yeo (excerpt): The only person I could think of to play Satsuki was Nana Komatsu. Without her, it would have been impossible to make “Moonlight Shadow” into a movie. Instead of acting, Ms. Komatsu became Satsuki.
Comment by Nana Komatsu (excerpt): A person who was right in front of you a moment ago suddenly disappears, but nothing changes in the everyday life around you (…) Time will stop from that moment on (…) I felt not only sorrow, loss, despair, and loneliness, but also the energy of human beings trying to overcome those, through each great word created by Banana Yoshimoto (…) During the filming, everyone trusted the director about the scenes he wanted to make, he paid attention to our emotions as actors and took in the ideas and opinions of the staff. In the end, we were able to come together as one. I think that working with this director this time has opened another new door for me.
Sources: Oricon News – Eigajoho – Natalie Music – Yahoo Japan – Model Press – Hochi News – Cinema Life
N.K. International 