Entertainment
Ozu Shapes Mishima Yukiko’s Tokyo Competition Title ‘Two Cigarettes, Three Nights’
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Published 10/31/2026 1:40:15 AM
Ozu Shapes Mishima Yukiko's 'Two Cigarettes, Three Nights'
Known for her dark relationship dramas, including the 2017 multiple-award-winner “Dear Etranger,” Mishima Yukiko has taken a different approach with her latest film, “Two Cigarettes, Three Nights,” which is in competition at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival.
Based on a 2014 novel by Chihaya Akane, it stars Matsuoka Mayu as Kanna, a picture book illustrator who has tired of her nice-but-boring live-in boyfriend (Inoue Yuki) while having nothing but a physical connection with her cynical married lover (Nakajima Ayumu).
Then a close friend from her college days, Haseo (Narita Ryo), reenters her life after a gap of seven years and once again becomes her confidant. Now a salesman for a drug company and still single, Haseo is something of a womanizer, though he keeps his relationship with Kanna strictly platonic.
Shot in Kyoto, Hiroshima and Toyama Prefecture, the film makes screenwriter Sawai Kaori’s talky script feel visually dynamic, while avoiding cliché shots in Kyoto and Hiroshima, two of Japan’s most famous tourist destinations. Instead of posing against temples and cherry blossoms, the two principals stroll along a riverbank or on railroad tracks as they renew their friendship – and flirt with something more.
“When deciding on a location, it’s not just about picking a ‘pretty’ spot,” says Mishima in an interview at Tokyo Midtown, the main festival site. “Rather it’s more about choosing a place where the scene comes to life.”
“Also, the novel has a lot of scenes set inside a coffee shop, but in the movie (Kanna and Haseo) are walking just about the whole time,” she adds.
Years ago, she and a male friend spent more time walking together than sitting inside a shop and talking, she recalls. “We didn’t talk about our worries and troubles – we’d walk until dawn, just chatting about trivial things.”
“Trivial” is not the word to describe the film’s dialogue, but it has a bantering tone, as well as an unfiltered honesty.
At the same time, Kanna and Haseo don’t face each other right away. “I didn’t want them to do that until a certain point,” says Mishima. “I wanted them to always be looking in the same direction. So when they go into a ramen shop, they are sitting side by side at a counter. The same with buses and trains – they sit next to each other, looking in the same direction.”
A big influence in her shotmaking style, Mishima says, is Ozu Yasujiro, who often filmed characters side by side or even making the same motions in unison. “I love how he captures the way people move within the flow of Japanese life, without cutting the shot, creating a sense of wonder,” she says. “He is also brilliant in how he makes a grand narrative emerge from small, personal moments, so I’ve been greatly influenced by that as well. My film starts from that personal perspective, but then it kind of opens up to the world.”
The film’s first act hints at sex comedy, and Mishima cast both of her leads – Matsuoka (“Tremble All You Want”) and Narita (“Convenience Story”) – with their comic abilities in mind. But she has crafted something more intimate and complex, with an ending open to interpretation.
“I thought that having a good sense for comedy was essential for the long dialogue scenes,” says Mishima. “They require a sense of rhythm and actors with a feel for comedy have it. It makes a huge difference.”
The film is no lighthearted laugh fest: Kanna and Haseo are not always likable characters, acting in ways selfish, callous and even cruel. “I think movies should be able to portray all kinds of people and tell all kinds of stories,” says Mishima. “And it’s good to have characters that represent all kinds of people, too.”
“I think viewers will probably be able to relate to their emotions,” she adds. “They’ll be able to find a part of themselves – ‘Oh, I’ve felt this way too.’ That’s what makes a good actor. No matter how bad the person they’re portraying is, you end up understanding them or rather you can’t help but feel the way they do. That’s their charm.”
Other characters add their perspectives, such as a surly bartender who is close to Haseo and thinks Kanna is hurting him, and Kanna’s jaded college friend who freely admits to cheating on her husband and sympathizes with Kanna’s infidelities. “I wanted to present the story in a multi-layered way,” says Mishima. “The film’s Japanese title is ‘The Male Friend,’ but it gradually drifts away from that theme. It’s more a story about what Kanna comes to see. By spending time with Haseo, she gains a perspective that lets her see not just herself but the world.”
Kanna’s art also changes. In sharp contrast to the commercial hack work that pays her bills, she completes a painting that grows out of her three eventful days with Haseo. “What I want to convey is embedded in that final painting,” says Mishima. “Kanna learns something in Hiroshima about herself and the world and puts that message into her painting. I wanted to depict the whole process, right up to the point where viewers come to see her painting and receive that message.”
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Mexico’s beloved Guillermo del Toro descended on the 24thMorelia Film Festival like the rockstar he is, greeted by hordes of shrieking fans that impressed even the most jaded in the crowd.
In town to present the much-anticipated 3D Re-Release of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” he was everywhere all at once, holding a masterclass where tickets were as elusive as a seat at Cannes that went on for nearly three hours and a free-wheeling press conference that extended past its time limit.
It was his third time at the fest, 20 years after his multi-Oscar winning “Pan’s Labyrinth’ first played there and years later with his 2018 best picture Academy Award winner “The Shape of Water.”
Before the presser kicked off, Del Toro, an Honorary Doctorate recipient from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), received the Filmoteca UNAM Medal, an honor also bestowed on Alfonso Cuarón, in town to support his son Jonas Cuarón’s opening night film, “Campeón Gabacho,” which he produced.
Alongside Del Toro were festival director Daniela Michel, “Pan’s Labyrinth” producer Bertha Navarro, his then young lead Ivana Baquero and DP Guillermo Navarro, who took home the cinematography Oscar for his stunning work on the anti-fascist fable.
Reflecting on a question posed midway through the press conference about what has stayed the same and what has changed over the 20 years since “Pan’s Labyrinth,” del Toro responded with tears.
“The state of our species and society today goes beyond anything we could have imagined back then. But I recognize the same sadness and despair. It pains me deeply to see one, two, or three generations fail the next. We’re handing down a world in ruins, morally, socially and spiritually fractured, with the very fabric that once allowed us to tell fables and parables falling apart.”
Asked whether he knew beforehand if “Pan’s Labyrinth” would be well received, Del Toro recounted how his collaborations with both Navarros sustained him through all the challenges they faced.
“We embarked on an adventure that was financially horrifying but cinematically beautiful,” he said.
“You never know how a film will be received. We only found out when we screened it for the first time at Cannes. We got that famous standing ovation that lasted more than 22 minutes, and from that moment on, everything changed. It changed our lives.”
“I think ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ marked a before and after for me. In terms of creative freedom, possibilities and everything else, I’m where I am today because of that film. But none of it would have been possible without the faith of my immediate family, Bertha and Guillermo.”
Said DP Navarro: “Guillermo and I share the belief that cinematic language is storytelling through images that convey emotion and narrative. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is the ultimate expression of that. The camera is constantly searching, discovering and communicating.”
“It was also an incredibly difficult shoot. We had a limited budget, had to find unconventional solutions and took risks that could easily have failed. But we gambled and we won. Without a doubt, it’s my best film, and I hold that experience close to my heart. I hope new generations will continue to discover and appreciate it. And now, 20 years later, it returns. Olé!”
Producer Navarro, who also backed Del Toro’s career-launching feature debut “Cronos” and his much-lauded “The Devil’s Backbone,” said: “When he gave me the screenplay for ‘Cronos,’ I was absolutely fascinated. Talent shines, and you have to know how to recognize that light. That’s what I saw in Guillermo.”
“It’s been an incredible privilege to have made those three great films with Guillermo. I’ve produced many films throughout my life, but those three hold a much deeper significance for me. They changed my life.”
Baquero concurred: “’Pan’s Labyrinth’ undoubtedly opened doors for me, both into the genre and in my career. We’ve talked this afternoon about how much the film changed our lives, professionally and personally. For me, acting went from being a hobby – I had worked before ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ – to becoming my profession. Without that film, I might not be here today. It unquestionably marked a turning point in my career.”
Reflecting on its impact on young audiences. Del Toro noted: “There’s an urgency and a fragility and ferocity that coexist in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ And somehow, I think it’s an urgent moment to speak, for the film to speak to a new audience.”
Local politics also crept into the conference, with a journalist asking him what he would say to the young people protesting in his hometown of Guadalajara over its current issues of contaminated water, repression and the alleged kidnapping of protesters on Oct. 11.
He responded:“This morning at my masterclass, I gave young people the floor to speak about these issues. It’s terrifying that something so fundamental should have to be fought for instead of being resolved through basic humanity and responsible leadership.”
“I said it clearly: “Their voices must be heard, and I stand with them 100%. It’s unacceptable that this remains unresolved or that anyone would try to silence them. Speaking out, protesting, and demanding a solution are fundamental rights – anytime, anywhere.”
The Morelia Film Festival began on Oct. 16 and wraps Oct. 25.
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The Japan IP Market will be back in Cannes next May for a second straight year. The Cannes Film Market and TIFFCOM, the content market of the Tokyo International Film Festival, are again teaming up on the event, and the 2027 edition will run May 14-15.
The return was revealed at TIFFCOM in Tokyo, during a conference on how Japan can forge new international partnerships after its stint as Country of Honor in Cannes. Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of industry programs at the Cannes Film Market, was among the panelists.
“The success of Japan, Country of Honor showed what can happen when a focused national presence creates lasting opportunities for the industry. The Japan IP Market is one of those outcomes: a collaboration that extends beyond a single edition and gives Japanese intellectual properties greater access to international partners,” said Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Cannes Film Market. “I’m delighted that we are continuing this work with TIFFCOM to create more opportunities for rights holders to connect with international producers and partners, develop new adaptations and bring their stories to global audiences.”
The Japan IP Market first ran in May 2026, one of the initiatives tied to Japan’s turn as Country of Honor at the Cannes Film Market. It put Japanese rights holders in the same room as industry professionals from abroad via pitches, one-on-one meetings and industry discussions. Kadokawa, Shochiku and Toei Company were among the companies taking part. The speaker lineup included Fujimura Tetsu, executive producer of “One Piece” and founder and CEO of Filosophia, Inc.
“The Japan IP Market is about creating the right conditions for business opportunities between Japanese rights holders and international companies,” said Zakharchenko. “By bringing them together in Cannes, we can help turn growing interest in Japanese content into concrete adaptation deals and acquisitions, while fostering new collaboration opportunities.”
Shiina Yasushi, executive adviser at UNIJAPAN and CEO of TIFFCOM, said the partnership with the Cannes market plays an important role for Japan’s audiovisual industry. He described the Cannes market as the biggest market attached to any film festival in the world. “Meeting the international professionals who gather there and creating together with them is the key to nurturing Japanese IP into global content,” he said.
Ikeda Kaori, managing director of TIFFCOM, said the first edition had shown how keen producers and partners worldwide are on Japanese IP. “Through the continued partnership linking Cannes in May with the Tokyo IP Market in October, we are pleased to offer more professionals the opportunity to meet Japanese rights holders directly and discover the rich diversity of Japanese IP,” she said.
The 2027 roster of companies and the rest of the program will be unveiled in the months ahead.
