Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2013

Filmmakers search tirelessly for the perfect location for their project, but sometimes the opposite is true—a good location can inspire a story.

Such was the case when director John Williams met the film commission of Sado Island. It became the setting for his new film, Sado Tempest, loosely based on Shakespeare’s last play.

“When I learned about all the important cultural figures who had been exiled there, such as the Emperor Juntoku, Zeami and Nichiren, I immediately thought of The Tempest,” the British-born, Japan-based filmmaker explains. “It seemed like a no-brainer.”

Although the poet-emperor Juntoku, who died on the island in 1242, served as a starting point, Williams chose to update the tale with a rock-star lead.

“I was looking for a band with a real rock stance and not just a pretty boy band,” he explains. The group Jitterbug was recruited as actors and for the film’s soundtrack.

Although Sado inspired the story, it did present some problems. “It was freezing cold,” Williams recalls. “The island had the biggest snowfall for 25 years and one particular crossing on the ferry was terrifying.”

The location was not without its perks, though. “The food in winter is amazing and the sake is some of the best in Japan,” the director says. “It kept the crew and me happy and warm.”

• Sado Tempest screens from February 16 at Shibuya’s Eurospace (1-5 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku; www.eurospace.co.jp)
• Read Rob Schwartz’s review of Sado Tempest here