Gray Spring
Two high school girls, Satsuki and Ibuki, are trying to make their farewell moment last forever.
“Very few films have ever captured the afternoon tinged melancholy of goodbye like Gray Spring”
In Depth with the Director - Shuhey Murata
Hello Shuhey, tell us a little about yourself and your background in filmmaking
I’m a film director based in Tokyo, making commercials and music videos mainly. TV show director + writer are how I started my career but my passion has always been for feature films. And yeah basically I’m just a film lover who still watches more than 500 films a year!
How did Gray Spring first come together as a project?
The band, SUKISHA x kiki vivi lily, has been one of my favorites so I asked them to collab. We together found a way to get the budget and it started.
Where did the idea for a farewell between school friends originate?
It comes from something really personal. The death of my friend. At my first listening to the song, it somehow reminded me of him in a different way so I decided to use this motif. In Japan spring is the time for “people come and go”, so the concept should be reasonable for the band’s Japanese fan base.
Gray Spring manages to capture so much emotion in such a short time. How did you impart so much emotion in filming?
It’s totally accomplished by the whole team. They’re so talented and passionate. What I did there was a tiny thing, just spending much time explaining not the emotion but the concept itself and trying to be a best friend of the performers so that they could get relaxed by the shoot.
What projects are coming for you in the future?
Currently working on my first feature. Writing a script for it. One of the most exciting moments in my life.
Do you have any message for our Melbourne audience?
For me Melbourne is one of the most cultural-sophisticated cities in the world so I’m honored to share this video to the people who live there. I hope you enjoy it. And...filmmakers! I'm looking forward to collaborating with you sometime soon! Please DM me on Instagram @shuheymurata