I am quite thrilled to watch my former 1st Assistant Director Blossoming into an internationally acclaimed film-maker. It's great that his directorial career is going along steadily. I hope that he'll soon no longer be presented as “the director who formerly worked for Takeshi Kitano.” His “Proud Protégé Kitano” days are over. I'd like to welcome him to the dog-eat-dog filmmaking world, where we're just two guys out of a countless number. A world where only one thing matters – keep making films that stand out. I send him my warmest congratulations for a good start. I hope he'll keep up the good work. And I hope he won't forget to bring me a souvenir from Cannes. He owes me at least that!