At Arimatsu … From the Shibori Festival.

I wonder what it says?
Any way, Lee Tae Sung seemed very happy.


I had been considering the idea of including an image of the Japanese festival in this film from the very beginning. The reason behind this is the same as our decision to include a dance related to the old Korean festival of the new year’s scene “nogaku”.

If one was to show a unique dimension of a country’s culture, I think that would be “matsuri (festival)”. And in the faces of the people who gather there, there is an expression they share in common which needs no explanation.

In that space and place there is nothing that divides people. There is only pure joy.
In the photos Lee Soo Hyun left behind, there were records of him enjoying the festivals of Japan. We know that Sekine-san, the photographer who died in the same accident, also heartfelt photos of the people and children at festivals, that conveyed a warm feeling.

At the root of the action they took that day, it seems that they shared a common simple liking for festivals – and underlying that this was a sense of “affection” that was very precious. I hope that we were able to convey that in the film.



The festival in Arimatsu is called “Shibori Matsuri”. This is a town which has carried on the old tradition of the shibori (tie dyeing), and we had asked the whole town to reproduce a part of their craftsmanship for this film. I would like to thank the people of Arimatsu for their cooperation. In the finished work, people may think that the scene lasts only for a moment, but I personally would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart for providing a precious image for us.

(originally posted in Japanese on August 6, 2006)