“On a recent shoot in Tokyo I was incredibly inspired by Japan and everything I was seeing around me visually. The streets, the people and the fashion. I learned about a doomsday cult called Aum Shinrikyo (Japanese オウム真理教) that let off deadly sarin nerve gas in Tokyo’s subway system 20 years ago. The attack was the worst in modern Japanese history. It made me think of Dylan Thomas poems about life and death. It was something I wanted to bring to life cinematically. I had a vision of a few of the cult members walking around Tokyo. Staking out the attack, the way thieves would a bank heist.”
And yes, The Sweet Shop director, Noah Conopask, did bring his vision of the Aum Shinrikyo and the Dylan Thomas poem, And Death Shall Hall No Dominion, to life cinematically. If Conopask wanted to demonstrate his ability to trigger emotion, mission accomplished. If it was a passion project, that also shows.
Feel uncomfortable for a minute and a half, feel threatened, feel its power. Watch the film.
The Stable: What exactly was it about Japan that inspired you to create the film?
Noah Conopask: It’s a city of the future. Another world. I had to jump on the opportunity of being there. It’s so unique visually. It’s a very special place and culture. It’s so dense and rich in texture. It’s so inherently sci-fi. The lights, the architecture, the way everything is stacked on top of each other. It’s amazing.
TS: What decisions did you make to achieve its haunting, ominous mood? Was the film intended to have a message? (It seems to be a statement for its time)
NC: My goal was to make the slowest paced film I’ve made. Uncomfortably slow. Long gazes and stares. I didn’t want there to really be an understanding of what they were specifically staring at. Rotating the camera gave it a spectral ghostly float to moments. I wanted the voice-over to be a little girl, digitally shredded. Her voice is really unsettling against the images. I also put them all in a white uniform to subtly push the cult idea.
TS: The sound in your film is a notably strong asset. How important to you is collaboration?
NC: Yes it absolutely is. Music and sound can morph the most mundane images into incredibly provocative visuals. Collaboration is very important to me. I love to be heavily involved in all aspects of the film and have a stable of go to collaborators. I love the process.
TS: Your signature style is called “subtle sci-fi”. Please describe it and how it came about.
NC: Subtle sci-fi is about injecting the seemingly everyday with what I feel is a slight futuristic visual edge. I strive to ‘world make’ while keeping it grounded in reality. I’m a child of science fiction. In brand work, I’ve combined that with finding and creating beauty in the mundane. Brands appreciate it because in a global ad space grabbing people’s attention requires heightened entertainment and inspiration.
TS: How important is it to your creative growth to work on personal projects?
NC: Hugely. It’s good for the soul. You have to experiment and create your own opportunities. Everyone is going to put you in a box. Break the fucking box. Surprise yourself.
TS: What do you think your background as a designer adds to your direction? What does your photography add to your filmmaking – and vice versa?
NC: I’m a visual stylist as well as a storyteller. Design often needs to communicate in a single static document. You have to guide the viewer’s eye so they see what you want them to see. Structure and composition.
I have an extremely strong point of view when it comes to my imagery. When I work with my cinematographers, it’s a true collaboration at every turn. Photography is all about capturing a single frozen captivating moment in time and not letting go of your audience for as long as you can. Make them stare and get lost in it. Imagine a universe that exists around it. I strive to make every image in every piece of filmmaking I create do that. Everything has to grab the viewer by the teeth and not let go. My hope and intent is that any one still could be its own stand-alone work of art.
Credits:
Poem: And Death Shall Hall No Dominion (excerpt) by Dylan Thomas
Directed by: Noah Conopask
Production Company: The Sweet Shop
Cinematography: Garrett Hardy Davis
Edit: James Dierx at Whitehouse Post
Music: Traces
Voice-Over: Vivian
Colour: Seth Ricart @ RCO
Producer: Larissa Tiffin
Talent: KO3UKE Onishi, Kenji Araki & Percy
