Kitano Kie is starring in the movie called "Halfway" that is going to open in cinemas on the 21st. It's about a young couple whose love is tried and tested as the graduation approaches. Kitano herself is going to graduate from high school in March as well. Just like her role in the movie she is in the middle of her youth, but unlike her she clearly stated that "work has priority over love". She decided to devote herself to her work as an actress and we (Sanspo) have listened to her honest feelings and ambitions about her work.

"Halfway" is a strange title, it implicates that you are in the middle of something. The title originally surfaced during Kitano's ad-libbing and got stuck to the project. 98% of the whole movie is ad-libbed to begin with!

Kitano talks about the simple instructions she got at the set."Every morning while filming the movie I got a short note from director Kitagawa, telling me what kind of feeling I should try to convey today. There also was no staff for the lightning and therefore we didn't have to worry about standing in the right positions. You could say that I was simply living more than playing a role."

--- Wasn't it difficult to ad-lib throughout the whole movie?

"It was fun to do whatever I wanted, whether I wanted to cry or not to cry, to smile or not to smile, to run or not to run..."

Her boyfriend played by Okada Masaki aims on going to Waseda University, which would mean to leave her and Hokkaido behind to go to Tokyo. She on the other hand gets angry and confused about his decision.

"It's your typical teenage love and she seems to love him more than anything else. I wouldn't be able to go that far in loving someone and was happy to go back to my normal life after spending 2 weeks thinking and feeling like that girl during the filming."

--- So you yourself couldn't be in love like that?

"Yes. You could say that I don't want to get distracted and therefore don't try to get involved in something like love. Work and friends are what are the most important things to me. Sometimes even just work! Work has always been my top priority."

--- Even if the person you like would try to chase his dream and move to a place far away?

"Absolutely! I myself am also a person who likes to leave things behind and I would be too afraid to tell him things like, 'Please don't go!'."

Kitano is going to graduate from high school in March. She also thought about going to a university, but in the end she decided to devote herself to her work as an actress. What are her plans from now on?

"I want to appreciate myself. Whenever I'm in front of the camera I have to tell myself, 'You are cute, you are cute!". Usually I don't like myself that much in reality. I want to become able to like myself more."

--- And the first step to devote yourself to your job as an actress is to start to like yourself?

"That and to have big dreams. It's important as an actress to have dreams that you can only achieve by becoming a big star."

--- Big dreams?

"I'll tell you when I achieved them. Otherwise it would be weird for me, if I won't achieve them. I didn't even talk about my course in my future during the school's parent and child career guidance meeting. But whatever I'll be doing, I want you to keep an eye on me."

With only 17 years old, she's still in the middle of achieving her dreams.

Here the trailer for "Halfway" as a bonus from me:


Written by: jyoyu.blogspot.com / Source: Sanspo
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