Director Kore-eda wants viewers to imagine the unseen in 'Sheep in the Box'

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, June 4 (Yonhap) -- Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda said Thursday he wants viewers to go beyond what is visible to the eye and imagine what is unseen through his latest film, "Sheep in the Box."

The sci-fi drama that was invited to the main competition section of this year's Cannes Film Festival follows an architect and carpenter couple who adopts a humanoid child robot, two years after the untimely death of their seven-year-old son Kakeru.

Kore-eda said what first inspired him to make the film was an emerging business trend in China where artificial intelligence (AI) technology is used to recreate photos and videos of people who have died.

While "Sheep in the Box" touches on topics such as the co-existence of human and humanoid robots, as well as ethical and emotional questions such a state may pose in the future, Kore-eda said he most wanted viewers to imagine by watching the film.

"The couple would have to use their imagination when they think about Kakeru, who is no longer with them but whose presence is felt, and I wanted to talk about this sort of imagination," the director said at a press conference in Seoul, held ahead of the film's release here next week.

"While I think a film comprises of things that are seen to the eye, what is not filmed is also very important," he said. "While things such as humanoid robots, forests and cup noodles appear in the movie, I hope you can watch it while imagining things that do not appear."

The Japanese filmmaker, accompanied by Rimu Kuwaki, who played Kakeru, praised the young actor for his natural sense of acting.

Kuwaki, who playfully yet poignantly performs his role, was selected from more than 200 candidates.

"Sometimes, he would completely change the nuance and lines ... I felt he was very good at applying things differently, and on top of that, enjoying it very much. In that sense, he did not feel like a child actor," Kore-eda said.

Kuwaki, who said the filming process was nearly equivalent to lots of playtime with the director, staff and other cast of the film, said "Sheep in the Box" is fundamentally a film about love.

"I have said it a lot, but it is a film with love," he said. "Every time you watch it, it will make you think and think. I hope you can think as you watch it."