Interview with AKIRA TAKARADA at the Macau film festival 2019
By Emmanuel Itier (pictured in the selfie with the actor)
Akira Takarada is a legendary Japanese Actor who was in over 6 Godzilla movies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Takarada ). We met him at the Macau Film festival and conferences (https://www.iffamacao.com ) as he was promoting his new film “DANCE WITH ME”, a mesmerizing musical from Japanese director Shinobu Yaguchi (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9529640 ).
Q: How did you end up in this film after so many Godzilla movies, quite a departure, isn’t it?
Akira: I have been in over 168 pictures in my career. so it’s been quite an easy experience for me. So this was quite easy to get into this film and play this character. But of course I’m better known for my Godzilla pictures. I have been in six Godzilla movies. I was in the very first Godzilla movie some 65 years ago! But I enjoyed being part of ‘Dance with me’ which is a fun and lighter subject for me. I enjoyed working with the director Shinobu Yaguchi. This was his first musical and I think he did a tremendous job with this film.
Q: What is this film, DANCE WITH ME, about for you?
Akira: It’s a musical, which is something innovative and new for a Japanese movie. It’s a movie full of life about a young girl who tries to find a meaning to her life. It’s a very touching and moving story and I’m so proud to be part of it. It’s about keeping the peace within and enjoying life every single day. For me it was refreshing to be part of a movie that is not about a big monster like Godzilla. I studied a lot of French movies and this film feels like a French movie in away. I learned so many things from French cinema and from Actors like Jean Gabin and Yves Montand.
Q: What does this film, DANCE WITH ME convey to an audience?
Akira: I hope the audience will feel about the most important emotions one needs to feel when watching a movie: Joy, Anger, Sorrow and Happiness. And this film is really about these emotions. One does need to feel deep inside. I think this is how we connect to this film and to life in general. I want to find more movies like DANCE WITH ME that help you tap with your human side, your human identity. This is such an impactful movie and I hope audiences around the world will appreciate it. It’s truly about one people, one planet.
