- The movie "My Sun" was a wonderful work. I was moved by the high level of purity in the way everyone worked on their creations, and the way it portrayed the time that truly existed. It's been about half a year since the movie was released, but can you look back and think about what this work means to you personally?

Keita Koshiyama (hereinafter, Koshiyama): It was my first starring role in a movie, and I learned a lot from it. It's a movie that respects the sensitivities of each individual viewer, and I think the appeal is that each person has a different impression of it.

- Even the same person may perceive it differently depending on their mood and the timing when they watch it.

Koshiyama: Yes. I'm happy to hear various opinions.

- Mr. Koshiyama played Takuya, a sixth grade elementary school student with a stutter. What aspects did you pay particular attention to when playing the role?

Koshiyama: I didn't know anything about stuttering until I played Takuya, so I started by learning about it. Stuttering symptoms can be mild or severe depending on the person. Director Okuyama (Daishi) gave me advice on the degree of stuttering on set, and we reshot the scene many times.

- When you feel like you have to speak properly or you want to convey something important, it's hard to get the words out. I could empathize with that even if I don't have a stutter. What is the biggest thing that you gained from this work?

Koshiyama: On set, Ikematsu (Sosuke) told me, "I'm looking forward to it." Those words became very important to me.
Acting is fun. I want to continue to enjoy my work.

What do you enjoy about being an actor?

Koshiyama: I guess it would be communication with the staff on set. I'm very shy, so I had a hard time talking at first, but after a long period of filming, I gradually started to be able to joke around. I like those warm moments.
Also, when I'm performing, I can think for myself and express myself freely. So when I get the OK, I feel really happy.

--You've won Newcomer Awards at various film awards, including the Mainichi Film Awards. How do you feel about winning these awards?

Koshiyama: In "My Sunshine," I was just there as Takuya without thinking about anything. I think that receiving the award will give me more opportunities to see my future works, but I feel that I am not satisfied with myself as I am now. I think that I still have a lot to grow as an actor.

-What kind of actor do you want to be?

Koshiyama: I want to become a one-of-a-kind actor, so that people who watch the role think that no one else can play it than me.

--The panels of the winners of this year's Mainichi Film Awards will be exhibited at COREDO Muromachi. Do you have a message for those who will be learning about your work and you for the first time there?

Koshiyama: In addition to my work as an actor, I am also working as an artist, and I hope to be active in many fields from now on, so I would be happy if you could support me.

"My Sun"
Summer 2025 Blu-ray & DVD release
© 2024 "My Sun" Production Committee / COMME DES CINÉMAS
Cast: Takatatsu Koshiyama, Kiara Nakanishi, Sosuke Ikematsu
Theme song: Humbert Humbert "My Sunshine"
Director, cinematographer, scriptwriter, and editor: Hirofumi Okuyama

A boy with a stutter who is not good at ice hockey. A man who gave up his dream of becoming an athlete and teaches skating in his girlfriend's hometown. A precocious skater girl who is a little interested in COACH. Three hearts come together and unravel on a skating rink in a rural town. A faint, sad story of love from when the snow starts to fall until it melts.