Hiro Murai
Summary
Ben Mankiewicz interviews director Hiro Murai about his work on *Atlanta* and *Widows Bay*, exploring his visual style and collaborative process. Murai discusses his origins in music videos, his move from Japan, and key cinematic influences like the Coen Brothers and Takeshi Kitano. The conversation highlights how surrealism serves emotional storytelling and the importance of crew collaboration in television production.
Topics discussed
Intro, sponsors, and guest Hiro Murai introduction
Defining a directorial style and the power of mystery
Building Atlanta from scratch and TV vs. film production
Collaboration with Donald Glover and early career
Moving from Japan to LA and learning English through film
The surrealism of Atlanta and emotional storytelling
Music video directing, pitching, and competition
Childhood movie memories: The Shining and Jurassic Park
Influences: Japanese cinema, Tarantino, and Coen Brothers
Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights and No Country
Super 8 segment: Jurassic Park and Saving the Picture
Favorite recent films and HAL 9000 as a misunderstood villain
Movies that make you cry and terrifying horror scenes
Outro and credits
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