Tsukamoto's Venice Competition Film Probes Vietnam War Trauma and Moral Choices

Tsukamoto Shinya, born fifteen years after World War II, has spent the past decade turning his focus toward the human cost of conflict, a shift that began with "Fires on the Plain" in 2014. His newest work, "Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?", entered the competition slate at the Venice Film Festival, telling the true story of U.S. Vietnam veteran Allen Nelson and his struggle to reconcile the violence he inflicted with the suffering he endured.

Nelson, a prolific speaker in Japan, is portrayed by stage veteran Rodney Hicks, whose disciplined acting was highlighted by the director. The counsellor role is filled by Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, satisfying the producer Kinoshita Group's condition to cast a globally recognized face. The film was shot with Tsukamoto operating a handheld camera alongside a core Japanese crew and select international talent, maintaining his hands-on approach despite the project's highest budget to date. Through this narrative, Tsukamoto asks whether societies should continue sending youth to battlefields, turning ordinary people into killers.