Why Ishii Gakuryu’s ‘The Box Man’ Took 32 Years to Reach Berlinale Premiere
variety.comMark Schilling Japan Correspondent Screening out of competition in the Berlinale Special section, Ishii Gakuryu’s “The Box Man” had a long and difficult gestation.
Based on a 1973 novel by Abe Kobo, this film about a man who wears a cardboard box as a mobile carapace started as a successful pitch from Ishii to Abe 32 years ago. “Abe had seen my films and liked them,” says Ishii at the office of the film’s production company and local distributor, Happinet Phantom Studios. “We had an interesting talk and he said he would let me make a film [of the novel].” At the time Ishii was a leader of Japan’s indie scene, with credits that included the punk rock-themed “Burst City” (1982) and the black comedy “The Crazy Family” (1984).
He also had a German connection with his 1986 documentary “1/2 Mensch” (“1/2 Man”) about the underground band Einstuerzende Neubauten.
Then, in 1997, the day before shooting was to begin in Hamburg, Germany, the project fell through. “There was a problem with the Japanese financing,” Ishii says.
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