Three gentle souls glide, spin and twirl their way to self-discovery
Sneak Preview Screening: My Sunshine (Boku no Ohisama)
followed by a Q&A with director Hiroshi Okuyama and actors Sosuke Ikematsu,
Keitatsu Koshiyama** and Kiara Nakanishi**
Monday, July 1 at 6:00 pm*
*Please note early start time.(**They will leave Q&A venue at 8:00 p.m. due to work regulation for children)
In Japanese with English subtitles Japan, France 2024 90 minutes
Written and Directed by: Hiroshi Okuyama
Produced by: Toshikazu Nishigaya, Yuki Nishimiya, Masa Sawada, Anne Pernod
Starring: Keitatsu Koshiyama, Kiara Nakanishi, Sosuke Ikematsu, Ryuya Wakaba
Film courtesy of Tokyo Theatres
Hiroshi Okuyama scooped up the New Directors' prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2018, making him the youngest winner in history with his debut feature, "Jesus." When his sophomore feature became the only Japanese film selected for the Cannes Film Festival's official lineup this past April, festival director Thierry Frémaux called him "perhaps the next [Hirokazu] Kore-eda."
Those are lofty shoulders to stand on, particularly when Okuyama's work is so delicate, so gentle, so exceedingly modest. And yet, few filmmakers have developed such a unique cinematic vision in so short a span-nor stayed so attuned to childhood emotions.
As "My Sunshine" opens, the first flakes of snow have begun to fall in smalltown Hokkaido, and young Takuya (Koshiyama) must soon switch from baseball to ice hockey, yet another sport he's not too good at. A shy boy with a stutter, he's easily distracted. One day in the rink, he's drawn to the elegant, graceful skating of Sakura (Nakanishi), as she spins and twirls across the ice. Her coach, Arakawa, notices Takuya watching Sakura, and when the teen attempts to imitate Sakura's moves, recalls his own youthful passion for flashy footwork. Soon, Arakawa is coaching the two in ice-dance routines after school, intent on entering them in an upcoming competition. As the winter waxes and wanes, and interpersonal dynamics subtly shift, each of the three has moments of self-discovery.
Suffused with a nostalgic glow and infectious charm, Okuyama's beautifully shot fable functions much like a memory, hazy but tinged with longing and remorse. Life-defining decisions are made, the snow melts and gradually, the slight narrative acquires a depth that didn't seem at first possible.
Please join us for a sneak preview of the captivating "My Sunshine" before the film's Japan release on September 6.
For more (in Japanese): https://bokunoohisama.com/
Writer-director-cinematographer-editor HIROSHI OKUYAMA won the New Directors Award at the 2018 San Sebastian Film Festival with his debut feature, "Jesus." The youngest-ever recipient of the prize, he had completed it while still a senior at Aoyama Gakuin University. With director Hirokazu Kore-eda and others, he was part of the writing-directing-editing team behind the hit 2023 Netflix series "The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House," and has also directed for the NHK series "Yumin Stories." He also directs commercials and music videos. "My Sunshine" is his second feature and commercial film debut.
Actor SOSUKE IKEMATSU landed his first film role in the 2003 blockbuster "The Last Samurai," and has since starred in some 50 features and demonstrated a range that's exceedingly rare in Japan. Among the many recent highlights are "The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue" (2017), "Killing" (2018), "Miyamoto" (2019), "A Girl Missing" (2019), "The Asian Angel" (2021), "Just Remembering" (2022), "Shin Kamen Rider" (2023) and Okiku and the World (2023). Along with a Japan Academy Prize as Best Newcomer in 2015, he has received the Rising Star Asia Award at the 20th New York Asian Film Festival.
KEITATSU KOSHIYAMA began his career in television before appearing in the films "Home Sweet Home" (2023) and "Family" (2023). "My Sunshine" marks his first starring role in a film, and showcases the skating skills that he has been honing since he was four years old. He also performs with the EBiDAN (Ebisu Academy Boys Club) theater group.
KIARA NAKANISHI makes her acting debut in "My Sunshine," and shows off her figure skating skills, which she has been learning since she the age of four. She has competed in the All-Japan Figure Skating Novice Championships in ice dancing as well as in singles skating. Her other special skills include dancing and languages-she is also fluent in English and French.
Please make your reservations at the FCCJ Reception Desk 03- 3211-3161 or register online. All film screenings are private, noncommercial events primarily for FCCJ members and their guests.
- Karen Severns, Film Committee