The Japanese filmmaker, Hirokazu Koreeda, gave a press conference yesterday shortly before receiving the second Donostia award. He confessed that he felt halfway through his career, and expected to make many more films, but this award was a way of recognising the relationship he had with the Festival throughout all this time.”

He also acknowledged that he was interested in breaking away from his “image as a director of family dramas” and that is why he would like to try out new genres. He’s currently preparing to shoot his latest film with international stars like Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche which he recognizes will be a new experience and a real challenge.

He also added that, “the important thing when you launch a project between various countries is to share your vision of what you want to do, rather than share a common language”.

As for working with children when shooting, something that is a typical feature of his films, he stressed that when casting children he always focussed on their “staying power and attention span” and that “the secret is having patience”.