Hirokazu Kore-eda and Yuji Sakamoto on capturing the human story behind ‘Monster’

Sakamoto’s heartfelt plot wooed acclaimed director Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose portfolio includes equally earnest projects, such as the Palme D’Or-winning Shoplifters, and spellbinding family dramas like Still Walking and Broker. Kore-eda, who has written most of his feature films, agreed to translate Sakamoto’s story for the screen. “I couldn’t help turning the page [of the script], wondering what would happen next,” the director said during a press conference at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

Critics and audiences have praised how the film captured two boys’ budding relationship. In addition to being awarded Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, Kore-eda received the Queer Palm Award, joining leading directors of contemporary queer cinema, like Todd Haynes (Carol) and Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire).

John Cameron Mitchell, the presiding judge of the Queer Palm committee, commended Monster for capturing the story of “two children who cannot conform to what is expected of them as boys.” Kore-eda was the first Japan-born director to receive the award.

I recently sat down with both Sakamoto and Kore-eda to talk about the process of bringing Monster to life, and the care it takes to tell the tale of two boys’ relationship.

This interview was originally conducted in Japanese and has been translated and edited for clarity and length. It also contains spoilers of the film.

Director Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster” is being shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Aki Camargo: Congratulations on an incredible film. Could you share how you came up with this story?
Yuji Sakamoto: The idea came to me maybe five or six years ago. I was driving my car one day, and was waiting for the light to turn green. In front of me was a large truck, and even when the light changed, it didn’t move. I thought, “maybe the driver is dozing off or daydreaming.” I decided to honk the horn multiple times, but the truck didn't budge. I remember constantly honking, feeling frustrated.

When the truck finally moved, and I drove past the pedestrian crosswalk, I noticed a person with a wheelchair. I felt instant regret. I realized that the truck was just waiting for the person to cross safely.

As writers, we base a lot of our experiences on trauma (laughs). Just like how I felt in that car, I wanted to create a story where audiences would slowly peel back the layers to notice things they couldn’t see before.

AC: There could’ve been so many ways to convey the underlying message of the film. But you decided to tell that story through the lens of a bullying incident at school. Why this particular approach?
YS: In grade school, I was a victim of bullying and violence. It’s nothing unique to Japan, but I recognized I was part of a system that was built against the weak or those that may be deemed “different.”

If a system is oppressive—be that a school or in any social space—the weak ones, or those who don’t conform to the status quo, are the ones who get excluded and even silenced. That story felt the most compelling to tell.

AC: Ijime, the Japanese term for bullying, is pervasive in schools in Japan. It’s also a topic that’s already been heavily covered in the media. How did you want to tell this story differently?
Hirokazu Kore-ada: Growing up, I remember turning a blind eye to bullying incidents in my school. But there’s one scene in particular in Monster, when school kids make fun of a girl. One of the characters pressured Yori to tease her with them. But he didn't.

Looking back at my own childhood, there was one classmate in my school who was just like Yori. And I just remember feeling ashamed that I wasn’t brave enough to stand up against the bullies like he did.

That type of courage, I believe, was what I found so compelling [about Monster]. Standing up against bullying is what made Minato build his respect for Yori. It’s also what planted that seed of intimacy between the two.

In “Monster,” a mother suspects a homeroom teacher may be behind her son’s sudden odd behavior.

Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

AC: When we peel back the layers in the film, we are invited into this blossoming yet secretive relationship between Minato and Yori. Were these characters based on your own personal experience?
YS: Looking back on my own childhood, there were moments in elementary school where I was just like Minato. I recall a time when I bullied a friend. He eventually changed schools, and I never got to see him again. And I can’t remember his face that much.

But when I went to the first press screening of Monster, I met all the actors, including Hinata Hiiragi [the actor who plays Yori]. As soon as I saw Hinata’s face, it was as if I was looking directly at the classmate from my childhood.

That interaction made me feel like I was Minato for a second. It was strange, but a memorable moment nonetheless.

AC: You perfectly captured the tense and often confusing journey of a preteen’s relationship with their identity through Minato and Yori’s relationship. It’s definitely a common experience amongst queer folks in the closet. As someone who isn’t queer, how did you go about telling this story with accuracy and sensitivity?
YS: As writers, it is our job to tell stories that aren’t simply our own. That’s why a level of respect and an openness to learn is key in my work. I made sure I didn’t approach this story knowing all the answers about the nuances of [Minato and Yori’s] relationship. So, I listened to others, and read and studied intently. I guess that’s an approach I take in all of my films, and that’s exactly the process I underwent for Monster.

HK: From the moment I read the plot, I knew it would be problematic if we didn’t involve experts and specialists to assess the story. I was introduced to organizations that help LGBTQ+ youth find community and belonging. We asked for their immediate thoughts and reactions on the script.

One of the biggest concerns they raised was the concept of labeling. We initially had some scenes where characters called themselves gay, and other scenes where those identity labels were unclear. We were told to make those uniform and consistent. 

Our team decided to scrap a few scenes and replace them with new ones—and ended up creating a story about the child who couldn't quite name what was wrong with him. This lack of labeling is what enabled others to project a label onto him, like “monster” or “pig.”

“Monster” tells the story of widowed mother trying to figure out what’s happening with her son.

Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

AC: Monster is now part of the contemporary queer films that have been awarded the Queer Palm. Do you consider Monster to be a queer film?
YS: Yes, absolutely. There are a wide range of interpretations, but it is unmistakably a LGBTQ drama.

HK: Monster can have a wide range of interpretations. And of course, when viewers comment that this film is centered around a queer relationship, I agree wholeheartedly.

But what I find to be problematic—and slightly ironic—is the need to categorize or label films to a particular genre. This act of putting things into boxes is extremely dangerous, and it’s exactly what we’re speaking out against in this film.

In this film, characters end up just labeling others, and stop themselves short from understanding others completely.

In that same vein, identifying this as a queer film, or any type of film in that matter, is something I want to avoid. So when someone says it's an “x” film, I tend to agree with their interpretation. I dont think it’s my responsibility to dictate that for anyone. This is something I constantly think about across all of my projects.

AC: I see all kinds of audiences finding resonance in this film. Is there a particular audience that you hope the film reaches?
YS: I always think about that friend I hurt when I was young. I can’t expect that person specifically to watch it, but it was written with people like him in mind. It’s a fragile friendship I forged, 48 years ago.

I’m sure there are other kids out there in the world who’ve had that same relationship—just like me and that boy. Or, even adults, who are processing their past, just like I am 48 years later.

Monster is released in select theaters.