Cannes Best Actress winners star in Japanese director's 'All of Us Suddenly'

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's latest film, "All of Us Suddenly," has earned its two lead actresses, Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, the Best Actress award at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. The film, which premiered at the festival, is based on a collection of letters between two Japanese female academics, originally published under the title "Accidental Illness, Inevitable Death."

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When I cast someone, I prioritize who they are as a person. I cast not through auditions, but by getting to know their character through conversation. Many people on set always say, 'This is the first time I've been on a set filled with such wonderful people,' and that's something I truly value. The two lead actresses are people who respect and support each other, and I believe that worked well in the film. I was truly fortunate to find these two actresses.

Hamaguchi described the process of adapting the correspondence, noting the challenge of translating the abstract conversations between the academics into a cinematic narrative. He was deeply moved by the book and sought to capture the "almost impossible" bond that forms between the two women, a connection that transcends ordinary friendship. The film's setting was moved to France, a decision influenced by the French tradition of dialogue-driven cinema and the cultural acceptance of philosophical conversations as entertainment, reminiscent of Éric Rohmer's films.

Efira, a Belgian-born French actress, and Okamoto, a former international model, portray characters who meet through theater. Efira plays Marie, a theater director facing terminal illness, while Okamoto portrays Marie Lou, who runs a Parisian nursing home and seeks to guide individuals through their final journeys. The film delves into their shared reflections and struggles concerning life and death, with a runtime of three hours and sixteen minutes.

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Adaptation is a process of repeatedly reading the original work until it is completely absorbed into one's being. To use a cooking analogy, it's like simmering the broth for Tonkotsu ramen. You boil it for a long time until the original ingredients lose their form and become broth, then you create the soup from that broth, and finally, the film from that soup. As I write the script, the elements of the original work seep into me, guiding the direction and naturally bringing forth elements that propel the story forward. This film is the result of that entire process, and I believe this version is the most condensed form.

Hamaguchi explained his lengthy creative process, comparing scriptwriting to slowly simmering a rich broth for Tonkotsu ramen. He emphasized that the adaptation involved deeply internalizing the original work until its elements naturally guided the narrative. The film aims to explore how individuals, facing mortality, strive to maintain their personal identities beyond their illness, and the profound connection formed with those who offer compassionate care and understanding.

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I wanted to ask questions about how we accept life and death through the deep bond between a person who tries to maintain their individuality as a professional and a family member, not just as a cancer patient, even knowing death is near, and a person who pursues care that maintains individual humanity and understands each person's life history.