Based on the real life story of novelist Ruka Kosaka, The Last Ten Years directed by Michihito Fujii (The Journalist, Day and Night, Yakuza and the Family…), starring Nana Komatsu and Kentaro Sakaguchi is a WarnerBros Japan film set for a theatrical release in Spring 2022 (Japan). Official Film Site.
News about the shooting and making of have surfaced on the internet: Director Michihito said he did not want his movie to be a melodramatic romance but rather a ‘documentary’, not about how the heroin died but about how she lived and spent those last ten years.
Ruka Kosaka suffered from an incurable disease and sadly passed away in 2017, at the age of 38, before her book, a fiction with a strong bind with her own life, was published and became a best-seller. Long discussions with her bereaved family convinced the director he had to make a movie that would also celebrate life, as a testimony….
Filming lasted for about a year with periods of interruption, the director wanted a real feel of the changing of seasons and passing of time. Because of the pandemic, conditions were tough and when it was wrapped he felt kind of burn-out. However, thanks to the dedication of the staff and the utmost commitment of his two leads, Michihito-san was satisfied.
He chose them because he really wanted the two thespians to star together. He reckons they had great on-screen chemistry. Regarding Kentaro Sakaguchi he told the media he liked his looks and his ability to express vulnerability. As to Nana Komatsu he praised her capacity to express emotions without words, just being there and standing still, he insists on how much she put into the role and hopes this will be her ‘masterpiece’.
First trailer
Sources: Oricon News – Natalie Music – Movie Walker – Moviche – Real Sound – Cinema Today 1 – Cinema Today 2 – Model Press – Movie Collection
N.K. International 