“Excellent Days,” which world premiered in Competitors on the Cannes Movie Competition, is reminiscent – in some methods – of “Groundhog Day,” however whereas within the latter movie Invoice Murray’s character, Phil, is attempting to flee the repetitive nature of his existence, in Wim Wenders’ movie the protagonist, Hirayama, is “embracing it,” the German director tells Selection.

Each movies present the lead characters waking on the identical time every morning, however whereas, in “Groundhog Day,” Phil is awoken by an alarm clock, in Wenders’ movie, as he factors out, Hirayama, performed by Cannes finest actor winner Koji Yakusho, “wakes up on his personal, or he wakes up as a result of there’s an outdated girl brushing the road exterior, at all times on time. He doesn’t want an alarm clock. He doesn’t even personal one.” There’s a sense that this can be a man in concord with nature, and at peace along with his existence, moderately than wrestling with it.

“When he opens his eyes, he’s blissful that this new day begins. And that’s the place the similarity with ‘Groundhog Day’ abruptly stops,” Wenders says, seemingly blissful to flee the comparability. “He’s not affected by having to undergo his routine.”

A part of the rationale for the distinction between the 2 characters could lie in variations between sure elements of conventional Japanese philosophy, the place the concept of repetition doesn’t essentially have a unfavourable connotation, and the restlessness of up to date Western tradition, with the aspiration to maneuver onto one thing new, moderately than respect what already exists.

In Japanese crafts, pottery for instance, there may be an emphasis on the the Aristocracy of the method, with the repetitive nature of constructing a pot time and again resulting in perfection. Hirayama is, admittedly, no craftsman, he cleans and maintains bathrooms in Tokyo – that are artistic endeavors in themselves – however he however approaches the duty with the identical eye for element, pleasure and dedication with which a grasp potter approaches ceramics.

Wenders says: “You realize, the potter’s secret is doing it for the primary time every time, and for our man, Hirayama, it’s the identical. Every day, he’s doing it for the primary time. And he’s not considering how he did it yesterday, and never considering how he’ll do it tomorrow. He’s at all times doing it within the second. And that’s the potter’s secret as effectively. And that’s what offers an entire completely different dignity to any repetition.

“Repetition as such, when you stay it as repetition, you change into the sufferer of it. In case you handle to stay it within the second, as when you’ve by no means carried out it earlier than, it turns into an entire completely different factor. You’re completely proper. Crafts in Japan have an entire completely different custom and are nonetheless lived differently than crafts in our Western tradition, wherein crafts are disappearing quickly, dramatically. It’s actually a disgrace. I’ve seen among the final of their craft, looking for anyone who was going to take it over, however they couldn’t.”

Simply as a craftsman pays consideration to each element, whether or not individuals discover or not, it issues to Hirayama that every little thing is ideal. Wenders says: “Hirayama has made a few of his instruments himself, for example a bit mirror on an extended persist with look beneath the bowl. No one else would see if there’s a drying drop there, however he does. Nicely, it’s not a ‘craft’, he’s not a craftsman, he’s a serviceman, however crafts and repair are equally insufferable if it’s at all times the identical. And it turns into an exquisite, dignified job when you reinvent every single day what you do and who you do that for. However most of all, it’s a must to just like the act of being of service.”

Hirayama notices issues that different individuals don’t, just like the homeless man who’s at all times standing beneath the identical tree. Hirayama has obtained the type of imaginative and prescient that possibly a few of us have misplaced, of seeing all people, or at the least not ignoring them.

Wenders says: “The ability may be very easy: for him, all persons are equal. For him, there aren’t any nobodies. In his personal opinion, he isn’t a no one both. So, he acknowledges the ‘nobodies’ round him very acutely. That homeless character, too, is a crucial human-being in his eyes. As a result of Hirayama notices him, we see him, and we see how superb he’s. We surprise what life he had. In Los Angeles, I made a movie, ‘Land of Loads,’ and we shot among the many homeless group. And the quantity of heartbreaking tales you’d hear… individuals who had been professors, lecturers, with educational levels who had been now out on the road. There aren’t any nobodies!”

At the beginning of the movie, we all know little or no about Hirayama, and it is just with the introduction of, first, his niece, and, then, his sister – who’s clearly far wealthier than he’s – that we get to know a bit extra about him.

Wenders says: “We guess a bit bit, however even with [the introduction of his sister], we don’t know all that a lot. We solely guess that he should have had a really completely different previous. He in all probability had a Lexus himself. Possibly he was a profitable businessman. After which one thing occurred, so he selected a unique life, a extra fulfilling, and less complicated one. Possibly he wanted therapeutic, and now the best way he lives is a lesson for us in therapeutic.”

It’s nearly like we’re assembly him for the primary time, after which by observing him we study a bit extra about him, moderately than it being fed to us within the script.

“Sure. Precisely,” Wenders responds. “By coming into into Hirayama’s life, we slowly enter into his manner of seeing. However very critically: each movie teaches us its personal notion. Some movies train us to see carelessly, others present us find out how to see with a loving look.”

Like a lot of Wenders’ movies, “Excellent Days” has a memorable soundtrack, and takes its identify from one in every of its songs – the Lou Reed traditional “Excellent Day.” Hirayama’s favourite tracks are heard as he performs his cassettes in his van or in his condominium, they usually give us one other strategy to get to know him. Did the songs come first, with the scenes composed round them?

“A few of the songs had been written into the script already, like Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ on the finish. A few of the songs imposed themselves. The alternatives had been essential as they outlined Hirayama’s style and who he’s. Plus, there’s the truth that he’s listening to audio cassettes. He nonetheless has his outdated cassettes from when he was younger. He listened to British and American rock music when he was younger, but in addition to Japanese folks and nation music of the 70s. So, he nonetheless listens to the identical cassettes, and he nonetheless connects to those feelings.

“And in our story, impulsively, he realizes that his cassettes, as outdated as they’re, are actually instantly the most popular shit in Japan. I imply, now you discover entire outlets with nothing however classic cassettes. Walkmans and cassette gamers are coming again. And the good factor for younger individuals is to make compilations once more, analog stuff. In contrast to digital “playlists”, you can not swap the order, however you comply with the order of the compilation. Such as you learn a letter.

“I lastly obtained all my compilation tapes out of the basement the place they’ve been for 40 years, and began having fun with them, and even my outdated Nakamichi cassette recorder nonetheless works effectively. It has Dolby A, B and C. Not that it issues. It sounds completely different. That outdated cassette sound may not be hi-fi, nevertheless it has energy.”