Kanji NAKAJIMA (Director & Writer) (1970- ) 

After enrolling at the Tokyo University of Art and Design in 1988, NAKAJIMA started making films and videos. His video work “KA KE RA” received the Originality Prize at the Image Forum Festival and the Silver Prize at Video Biennale in Medellin, Colombia in 1989. In 1990, NAKAJIMA completed his first feature film, Fe (Hagane), which received invitations to film festivals in six countries and won four prizes, including the First Film Prize at the Portugal International Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the UNESCO Art/Education International Film Festival. In 1997, he completed his second feature length film, The Box, which was awarded a Special mention in the main competition at the Torino International film Festival. 

In 2006, his original new script for this film, The Clone Returns Home, was awarded the Sundance/NHK Filmmaker’s Award. After he completed the film in 2008, the film premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and at the Sundance Film Festival 2009-World Cinema Competition. 

In every film he makes, NAKAJIMA not only writes and directs, and also does some cinematography, music, and editing on the production. 

Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (Executive Producer) (1945 - ) 

A German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer. Wenders began his career with the rise of the New German Cinema at the end of the 1960s, making his feature directorial debut with Summer in the City (1970). His many awards include the Golden Lion Award at the 1982 Venice Film Festival for The State of Things the Palme d'Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival for Paris, Texas, and Best Direction at the 1987 Bavarian Film Awards and the 1987 Cannes Film Festival for Wings of Desire. 

Wenders has also directed several highly acclaimed documentaries, most notably Buena Vista Social Club (1999) about Cuban musicians, and The Soul of a Man (2003) on American blues. He has also directed many music videos for groups such as U2 and Talking Heads. 

Mitsuhiro Oikawa (Lead Actor) (1969 - ) 

A musician, singer, song writer and actor, most of Oikawa's fans refer to him as "Michee" or "Mitchy". His cool stage persona is reminiscent of David Bowie, and he often incorporates Anime themes and costumes into his performances. 

Off the stage, he is well-known for his role in the popular TV drama "Aibou", and won a best supporting Actor award at the 64th Japanese Television Drama Academy Awards. 

His previous television and film performances have reflected his dynamic stage persona, but in this film, he was challenged to portray a completely different, introspective character. 

"Even the Ojizo-sama statue…" 

A Jizo (or as the Japanese call him, Ojizo-sama) is a Bodhisattva (Bosatsu). A Bodhisattva is one who devotes his or her life to freeing others from suffering. Usually the Bodhisattva wears gorgeous jewels, but Jizo is simple and portrayed as a child-monk, protector of children, women, and travelers. 

The “Ji” (地) in Jizo means Earth. Jizo is the Japanese name of this Bodhisattva, who was also known in ancient India as Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Earthstore Bodhisattva, guardian of the great earth. 

"would it be able to easily continue on it’s journey towards Nirvana?" 

‘Reaching Nirvana’ is a paraphrase for ‘jobutsu,’ which literally means ‘attain Buddha[hood],’ or ‘become Buddha,’ i.e., reach of state of liberation; it’s a reference to a state of being, a modality rather than an actual place. 

Making Of - "You had Mr. Oikawa shut off Michee." 

"Michee" or "Mitchy" is the flamboyant stage personality of lead actor Mitsuhiro OIKAWA (Kohei). In this film, however, the director challenged OIKAWA to play a delicate, introspective character, completely against the type that most of his fans had come to expect.