Whenever I see the name Daisuke Miyazaki, I always take a look at what he is involved with. My first encounters with him were at the Osaka Asian Film Festival where his indie features have delighted and shown his command of various genre of film (Tourism – travelogue/comedy, Videophobia – horror/thriller, North Shinjuku 2055 – gangster/sci-fi). He has come off the back of a strong 2023 where he had three films released, the omnibus film Ten Stories, #Mito, and Plastic, the latter of which was screened at Japan Cuts.
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is his latest work and it is being screened at Shimokita Ekimae Cinema K2 after being made in 2022. It stems from his activities as an instructor at The Film School of Tokyo where he collaborated with students from the Actor’s Course to make a science fiction coming-of-age ensemble drama involving a series of interconnected vignettes split between a sci-fi setting, where people on and around a dying Earth say their lonely goodbyes, and a set of surreal experiences people have in a forest akin to some sort of purgatory/meeting place.
With themes of farewells, the randomness of existence, the film weaves a strangely calming spell. As insane as the title sounds, the effect of each bitesize story made me feel melancholy, sadly amused, and contemplative while each of the cast were delightfully quirky to make that charm hit home.
I had the chance to review the film and interview director Miyazaki and, eager to find out more about the background of the project, I asked questions!
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was a really pleasant surprise. It’s not as insane as I thought it might be from the title.
The sci-fi of “My Life” is zero budget but the way you establish the advanced technology and sense of futurity through location architecture and the dialogue was well accomplished. “Bush of Ghosts” plays like an existential comedy where there are so many absurd moments that come from left field that I found myself cackling or thoughtful.
I’ve watched it multiple times and it has made me somewhat melancholy and amused but mostly, I felt calm. It’s like allowing the world to be arbitrary but it might also be the laid-back feeling that the “end of the world” blues of stories where the planet is dying, create and how friendships are put on pause, people glide through long goodbyes.
Where did the title come from and what is its meaning?
I liked the same titled album by Brian Eno and David Byrne very much. The title was originally from a Nigerian book, and the album consists of sound samples from outside of the west. The culture and history that exists outside of western culture is what I have been interested in until today.
I believe this is a project made in collaboration with students/alumni from The Film School of Tokyo where you are an instructor. How did this project come about and what was your aim in creating it?
Shooting a short film was in the curriculum but the other instructor got sick, so I had to take up after her and shoot two short films. I tried to combine the two shorts into one feature. Also, Covid was serious at that time in 2022. To show the hope in post-Covid and post-post truth world was my aim.
What were the parameters that were set in terms of time and budget?
We had three weeks to prepare and a week of shooting. The budget was almost nada. I’ll say few months house rent.
You have a diverse array of people on the cast, in terms of physical expression, from dance to sign language to comedy and drama. Everyone manages to fit in perfectly. How did you go about casting?
They are all starting actors and told me what kind of role or acting they wanted to try. I blend that with what I thought would be interesting cinematically. Since we spent half a year in school together, I knew when they looked fascinating in normal life. That is what I used as well.
This film is full of vignettes and everyone seems perfectly teamed up as a cast and the material tailored for each team. Could you talk about how you created the story on a screenplay level and on location and in the edit? Were the final stories a result of workshopping with teams and allowing the cast to dictate story structure before the shoot or was there more spontaneity?
We did have a script. Although, I always love to improvise on the set and change the script. There were many ideas coming out everyday through their acting and natural light. As I mentioned above, the later half of the film is made by their desire to act whatever character or situation. The first half was based on a plot and script they wrote. I remixed most of the materials to get their idea closer to my philosophy and cinematic taste. I can say I was like a DUB mixer of their ideas and creativity. The editing was firstly done by them but likewise, I remixed their edit and turned it into my taste.
The style of filming changed between stories. Some of the vignettes were captured by a single fixed camera, others had section that looked like they were shot on a smartphone. In the cannibal section, it looks like there are members of the public.
Yes. To affirm everything happening and not reject was the rule of this film and the forest. Filmmaking tends to cut many things in the process to realize the director’s the vision and rule. What if we let everything as they are? That was what we tried.
When we talked about Tourism, you mentioned how you did a lot of visual planning. For Ghosts, did you do storyboarding for every story or was there spontaneity on location?
This is a very Japanese way, but I decide how to cut after watching the real acting. That is to show the actor’s acting the best. After experiencing many shootings, I got the ability to make the actor improvise and cut on set.
There was one moment I loved where the would-be lover who is stuck in the forest runs directly past you and your film crew. It made me wonder if that was deliberate on your part. What was the degree of the input from the cast in terms of the technical side such as framing for a scene or shot selection?
Yes, it was deliberate. If everyone is a cast and a crew, why should the director stay out of the frame all the time? I hardly show myself in my film so, it was quite a challenge to act as I wish. Although it was a short cut! Most of the frame was decide by me. Sometimes I asked them to try. I always wanted a fresh aspect from the beginners in my film. The power of ignorance is a thing I learned by teaching film making to kids.
Films like Le Samourai (1967) and Wild Beasts (1984) start with fake quotes. Is that quote from Q.M. a fake one too just to set up the theme of “reason” and “arbitrariness”?
Yes. It’s a quite random film, story wise. Hence, we needed a spit to penetrate through the whole film. I was into Quentin Meillassoux’s speculative realism at that time. I am still under the influence of it.
I loved the fact that many of the stories feel completely random and yet fit together. The shot of the crossroads was surprisingly enjoyable I quite liked the Michi/Ichiro story and also the “chasing Kanae” story but was quite struck by the one involving the friends on the bridge discussing living life romantically.
Which of the stories do you enjoy the most?
I feel all the stories talk about basic communication and intimacy. That’s what I believe will be important in the post-Covid era. Each story has intriguing moments which changes every time I watch it depending on the situation and the condition I am in. This film is like a diamond that shines differently every time you seek into it. Nonetheless, the long take bridge scene we shot at the magic hour is breathtaking and touching every time I see it, especially in the cinema.
My thanks go out to Daisuke Miyazaki for sharing this film and answering my questions. My thanks also go out to the cast and crew!
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is being screened at Shimokita Ekimae Cinema K2 @K2shimokita
You can read my review here.
MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS 
Release Date: March 29th, 2024
Duration: 69 mins.
Director: Daisuke Miyazaki
Writer: N/A
Starring: Toki Miyoshi, Husen Akimoto, Kanon Kobayashi, Misaki Yatabe, Reo, Akito Imai,
Website Twitter: @MYLIFE_GHOSTS
Reviews of Daisuke Miyazaki Films and Accompanying Interviews:
North Shinjuku 2055 review + interview
VIDEOPHOBIA review + interview,
Yamato (California) review