Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, Fukada said his new drama Nagi Notes, which is set in rural Japan and is premiering at the event, explores ideas around the human act of creation, including the process of making sculpture.
He argued that when AI is used to generate artwork or video, it bypasses the creative journey. In his view, this means creators lose sight of the process through which people are meant to explore and understand their surroundings.
Nagi Notes follows Yuri, a Tokyo-based architect played by Shizuka Ishibashi, who travels to the western Japanese village of Nagi to visit her friend and former sister-in-law Yoriko, portrayed by Takako Matsu. Yoriko agrees to pose for a sculpture, forming the emotional centre of the story.
The film also introduces two local boys, Keita (Kiyora Fujiwara) and Haruki (Waku Kawaguchi), whose developing bond is supported by the women, who provide them with a sense of safety as they explore their feelings.
Fukada also addressed questions about the portrayal of the boys’ relationship, suggesting there remains an imbalance in how audiences perceive same-sex relationships compared with heterosexual ones on screen.
He said he hopes that in the coming decades, representation of characters across all sexual orientations will become so normalised that such distinctions will no longer be a subject of debate.
Fukada’s previous film 'Love on Trial' was shown in the Cannes Premiere sidebar in 2025. His earlier work 'The Real Thing' was included in the festival’s official selection in 2020, while 'Harmonium' premiered in the Un Certain Regard section in 2016, where it won the Jury Prize.
Nagi Notes is among 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or, which is set to be awarded on 23 May.
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