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Satoshi Tsumabuki discovers multiple identities in 'A Man'

Movies

Published: 25 Aug. 2023, 18:19 Updated: 25 Aug. 2023, 19:23

Satoshi Tsumabuki discovers multiple identities in 'A Man'

Japanese actor Satoshi Tsumabuki speaks during a press conference for the upcoming film ″A Man″ at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University branch in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Friday. [NEWS1]

A wife finds out that her dead husband stole the identity of another man and lied about it his entire life. The first question she asks herself is who he really is, then why he lied. Veteran Japanese actor Satoshi Tsumabuki plays the lawyer who investigates the true identity of the deceased husband at his wife's request, in the Japanese Academy Film Prize-winning film "A Man" (2022).

“The message in ‘A Man’ is that we all have different versions of ourselves within,” Tsumabuki said during a press conference for the film at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University branch in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Friday. “The idea is that we apply different versions for each person we face, and all those versions are still us. The film, in this sense, is about identity and the nature of happiness, and I hope this resonates with viewers in Korea.”

Main poster for ″A Man″ [TWIN PLUS PARTNERS]

Japanese society can be a close-knit environment where any sort of abnormality is shunned, and this is highlighted in the reason why the deceased husband changed his identity, which is revealed in a surprising twist at the end of the film. Tsumabuki's character Akira Kido, a Zainichi Korean or Korean resident of Japan, is depicted as detached from his surroundings initially but also harbors an internal rage due to the discrimination against Zainichi, in parallel with the deceased man's life.

“I did not have any reservations about playing a Zainichi character in ‘A Man,’” Tsumabuki said. "Many of my close childhood friends are Zainichi, and director Lee Sang-il, who I have worked with in the past, is also Zainichi. I approached the character of Akira with the idea that it would have the best impact on viewers when his internal thoughts are revealed at the very end of the film. So I kept a mysterious and unapproachable aura for the character throughout the film because of this.”

Satoshi Tsumabuki plays Akira Kido, a Zainichi Korean lawyer who investigates the identity of a deceased husband in the upcoming film ″A Man″ [TWIN PLUS PARTNERS]

"A Man" is adapted from author Keiichiro Hirano’s novel of the same name and deals with the social issue of the growing number of missing people in Japan. More than 79,000 people went missing in Japan in 2021 alone.

Tsumabuki has starred in award-winning and critically acclaimed films such as “Waterboys” (2001), “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” (2003) and “Shape of Red” (2020). He was nominated for the Best Actor award for “Waterboys” at the Japanese Academy Film Prize, and won the Newcomer of the Year award at the same ceremony for “Waterboys.”

Tsumabuki further expressed his love for Korean films and his friendships with Korean actors including Ha Jung-woo and Hwang Jung-min, saying that he hopes to work together with them in the future. Tsumabuki and Ha previously met while filming the 2009 Korean-Japanese collaborative film “Boat.” They also met when “A Man” was invited to the Busan International Film Festival as the closing film of the festival in 2022.

A scene from ″A Man″ [TWIN PLUS PARTNERS]

“I met Ha the last time I was in Korea, and I plan to meet again with him this time around,” Tsumabuki said. “I hope to work together with him again in future films. We have a good relationship and trust each other, so I hope we can meet in a work where we play characters who do not like each other. That would be fun. Hwang is another Korean actor I admire very much – his performance in ‘Narco-Saints’ [2022] was very impressive.”

Tsumabuki also learned some Korean phrases for his visit, the actor announced shyly.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” or hello, Tsumabuki said during the press conference. “I took the time to learn Korean for my fans here, and I hope the Korean audience will enjoy ‘A Man’ and reflect on their own lives as well as different versions of themselves while watching our film.”

"A Man" opens in Korea on Aug. 30.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]