Interview With "Kokuho" Filmmaker Lee Sang-il & Star Ryo Yoshizawa

"Kokuho" is a Japanese drama film directed by Lee Sang-il, written by Satoko Okudera, and based on a novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida, starring Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Min Tanaka, and Ken Watanabe. It tells the story of a young boy who devotes himself to the traditional theatre of kabuki under the tutelage of a famous actor, aspiring for the same level of greatness someday. The film had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. It would go on to find commercial success in Japan, even increasing kabuki ticket sales. It has been selected as the Japanese entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards. Filmmaker Lee Sang-il and star Ryo Yoshizawa were kind enough to spend some time speaking with us about their work and experience making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is set for a limited one-week qualifying release on November 21st in New York from GKIDS. Thank you, and enjoy!

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