LOOK BACK
Director/screenwriter: Hirokazu Koreeda
Logline: Based on a well-known manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Look Back tells the story of artist Fujino, who draws comic strips for the school newspaper. In fourth grade, she meets her match in her reclusive classmate Kyomoto, even briefly giving up. But then Fujino joins forces with her rival, and together they go on to have a successful career together — until tragedy strikes.
Sales agent: Goodfellas
Panelist: Hirokazu Koreeda
First screening: Monday, September 14, Princess of Wales Theatre
Key quote: “This film is based on a manga. It’s quite of an autobiographical story following two young girls as they pursue their passion in manga. My first encounter with this book was just walking into a bookstore and being drawn to the cover, which depicts a young person’s back as they’re sitting at their desk, drawing manga. When I bought the book, this would’ve been around the period of the pandemic, when all of my film projects that were in production had stopped. I remember feeling as though my work that I had spent my whole career on film was being discarded by the world and being told as if it wasn’t needed. This film, and the story, is about a young protagonist who stops drawing manga after a specific incident and then how they regain the courage to return to drawing manga. I was very moved by this and I felt very encouraged. I hope that people that watch the film also kind of share in that feeling.” – Hirokazu Koreeda
Watch the video above.
The Deadline Studio at TIFF is hosted at Bisha Hotel and presented by Volvo, Columbia, Patrón and Schwarzkopf.
