Dec. 23, 2021

Yukie Kito: Award Winning Film Producer

Yukie Kito: Award Winning Film Producer

This episode I have an entertaining conversation with an old friend of mine. Yukie Kito is an award winning movie producer with over 20 films to her credit.  This is really an "insiders" episode where we talk about her life, challenges, and successes as an independent producer and really gain a lot of insight into the Japanese film industry: What has happened to creativity and how some missteps have allowed S. Korea to become Asia's entertainment powerhouse. She talks about some great memories making movies and anecdotes about Hollywood stars. Other topics we discuss:

  • What a film producer actually does
  • When watching films does she view or critique them differently than general audiences
  • How she got her start in Hollywood
  • Tears of joy (and envy) when seeing the international success of Korean entertainment 
  • The one film she is the most proud of
  • Why she makes an appearance in almost all her movies
  • Her criteria when selecting movie projects
  • Why so little "Original" content is produced in Japan
  • Working with Ethan Hawke and their close friendship
  • How her "win-win" philosophy helps her survive in the film industry
  • We try to explain "Mono no Aware" and another untranslatable Japanese word

Yukie's Movie list: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2183344/
More Now and Zen Japan episodes: http://nowandzen.jp

Grow website traffic = Zo Digital: https://www.zodigital.jp/
Great Sleep Starts Here = gugu Sleep Company: https://gugu.jp
Japan Adventures via Camper Van = Dream Drive: https://www.dreamdrive.life

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