By: Natalie Johnson
The director discusses Japanese spiritual traditions, the role of stillness, and the collaborators who helped bring his long-held vision to the screen.
For Gudni Gudnason, making Mysterious Pond meant bringing a lifelong creative ambition to the screen.
The film follows a Japanese woman who, after losing her parents and struggling with her sense of identity, discovers renewed meaning through Japanese culture. Natsuki Kunimoto leads the cast, with screen credits that include 47 Ronin and The Terror, alongside Lee Murayama, Sho Ikushima and Masaya Kato.
Behind that personal journey are ideas Gudnason had long wanted to explore through cinema: the Kojiki and the Japanese concept of ma. He describes the Kojiki as a book about the origins of the Japanese people containing deep spiritual teachings. His interpretation of ma, often expressed as the space in between, centers on what he calls “Stillness in the Void.”
For Gudnason, those ideas informed the practical work of filmmaking. He spent months preparing with his cinematographer to develop the scenes, while his wife, the film’s art director, helped shape their visual world. Lighting, composition, silence and performance became interconnected parts of the project.
The production brought together a crew from Europe, America and Japan. In reflecting on the experience, Gudnason repeatedly credits that team with helping him translate a deeply personal vision into a shared creative effort.
Ahead of the Hollywood premiere, the director shared his thoughts on the film’s origins, its visual approach and the actors who embraced his working method.
The following Q&A is adapted from Gudnason’s supplied written statement, with light edits for grammar and clarity.
What inspired you to make Mysterious Pond?
As director of Mysterious Pond, I could finally, after a lifetime of dreaming of this project, fulfill my dream of making a movie about the Kojiki and ma, two famous concepts in Japanese culture.
One is a book about the origins of the Japanese people, filled with deep spiritual teachings. The other is a concept that perhaps might be translated as “the space in between,” but to me it is “Stillness in the Void,” reflecting the soul of Japan.
What made creating this film meaningful to you?
I loved making this movie because it matched my dream, and I found the perfect crew to help me bring it to life.
The team was mostly European, with two Americans and some Japanese, but we all connected right away. The lighting, camera angles, and sounds of silence came together with the actors’ performances in each scene you see in the movie.
How did you develop the film’s visual world?
My art director is also my wife, and she did an amazing job making every scene perfect. My cinematographer and I had worked on those scenes for months before shooting.
You describe choosing a “one-take” approach to filming. How did the actors respond?
I decided to use a one-take approach, which at first freaked the actors out. But in time, they learned to see the project my way, and they all did a fantastic job.
What would you like to say to audiences preparing to see the film?
I hope you enjoy the movie!
Gudnason’s account reveals how much of the film was shaped before the cameras began rolling, from the months spent planning scenes to the cultural ideas underlying them. It also shows how that preparation depended on collaborators willing to engage with his approach.
As Mysterious Pond heads to Hollywood, the premiere marks the next step for a project its director had imagined for a lifetime: sharing that vision with an audience.
Mysterious Pond will celebrate its world premiere on October 3, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, as part of the Global Stage Hollywood Film Festival.
