Open talk on Closed Ward

Filmaga interview: Director Hirayama and Nana Komatsu

Closed Ward -international working title ‘Family of strangers’- is to be released in Japan on November 1rst, nationwide. On Monday October 28 (Japan time), movie magazine Filmaga released an interview with Director Hideyuki Hirayama and his lead actress, Nana Komatsu. Below is a very brief summary on top of the pics from the photo session. Please check the original article (in Japanese)

Interestingly, the movie is part of the official selction for the 14th edition of the Kinotayo Film Festival in France: Family of Strangers (French and Japanese available).


We learn from Director Hirayama that his script was basically a blueprint and it was adapted on the spot while actually filming with the staff and the actors. Filming took about a month.

Nana Komatsu says she was glad to be offered the role and felt impatient to interact with co-stars Go Ayano and Tsurube Shofukutei to build up the close relationship they have in the movie.

The young actress has a very long scene while in court in the second half of the film. Director Hirayama told her in advance he wanted to have it done in one single cut to keep the flow and level of emotion. Confessing* she is not the type of thespian that can do things properly without rehearsals, she still remembers the tension, yet, the scene was shot in one take. *(TN: humbly)

Director Hirayama often discussed with the actors about the nuances in their respective lines.

Nana Komatsu adds that Mr Hirayama shows a lot of respect for his comedians and that made her feel comfortable. The actress adds that she did communicate a lot with the director and the staff throughout the shooting.

The interview ends up with Director Hirayama mentioning a feeling of achivement as he has been working on the projet for months. Nana Komatsu stresses again her love for movies and being on a film site.


Official Site (Japanese)

See more pics

Close Ward Promo Event

Yesterday* in Tokyo, at the T-Joy Prince Cinema (Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Takanawa), there was a promo event for Closed Ward aka Family of Strangers, Hideyuki Hiyarama‘s new film due for release in Japan on November 1. Co-stars Nana Komatsu and Tsurube Shofukutei attended as well as supporting actresses Reiko Kataoka, Satomi Kobayashi and director Hirayama. Veteran actor Shofukutei was delighted when the actresses offered him gifts, among them a knitted hat from his young co-star Nana Komatsu.*(Japanese time)


Nana Komatsu

See more pictures – Bonus clips

Making of Closed Ward

Just released on YouTube, a video that shows some footage of the film, the making of and bits of interviews. Reports from Moviche, Cinema Café, Cinra.net, Crank-in, RealSound.

Synopsis from AsianWiki: Hidemaru Kajiki (Tsurube Shofukutei), Chu-san (Gou Ayano) and Yuki (Nana Komatsu) are patients at a psychiatric hospital in Komoro, Nagano Prefecture. Hidemaru Kajiki killed his mother and daughter-in-law. Chu-san used to work as a salaryman, but he suffers from auditory hallucinations. Yuki is a high school student and she refuses to go to school. Due to that, she receives outpatient treatment. Patients at the psychiatric hospital try to live brightly, but things suddenly change. A murder takes place at the hospital. 

Film Site – Also on Twitter

Closed Ward on November 1

As reported by various media outlets (Natalie Music, Fashion Press, Moviche, Movie Walker, Realsound, Eigaland, Yahoo Japan…) Closed Ward/閉鎖病棟 by director Hideyuki Hirayama will hit Japanese theatres on November 1. The Official Site (a few pages and a Twitter scrolling menu for the time being) has just been launched.

The film stars Go Ayano, Nana Komatsu and veteran actor Tsurube Shofukutei has the lead, additional cast members include Kobayashi Satomi, Shibukawa Kiyohiko, Bando Ryota, Takahashi Kazuya, and Kino Hana.

Synopsis: Go Ayano is Chu, a salary man who suffers from hallucinatory bouts which can lead him to violence, he’s become estranged from his wife and family. Nana Komatsu is Yuki, an outpatient and a school girl with a long and painful history of truancy and suicide attempts. Tsurube Shofukutei is Hidemaru Kajiki, the main character, a man who murdered his family. A failed execution broke his spine and he is now an in-patient on a wheel chair in the psychiatric ward of a hospital. Residents and out patients coexist relatively peacefully there until one day a murder case occurs…

Filming took place in Matsumoto and in Nagano for the most part.


Making of mini gallery