The film ‘My Sunshine,’ which began its nationwide release on September 13, held a special talk show to celebrate its release on September 16 at Theater Shinjuku.
Set in a snowy town, the film portrays the growth of a boy named Takuya, who has a speech impediment, a young girl named Sakura who is learning figure skating, and Arakawa, Sakura’s coach and a former figure skater, through their perspectives from the onset of snow until it melts. Hiroshi Okuyama, making his commercial debut as a director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and editor, crafted the film. The event featured Hiroshi Okuyama and his brother, Yoshiyuki Okuyama, a photographer and filmmaker. This was the first time in about five years that the brothers appeared together for a public discussion, following a talk show for Hiroshi’s first feature film ‘I Hate Jesus’ in 2019.
Yoshiyuki shared his thoughts on the film, stating, “Before watching the full film, I saw the trailer, and it felt like I was looking at Hiroshi as he was when he used to skate, especially through the character Kousei, who is Takuya’s friend. After watching the film, I sensed Hiroshi’s presence and the time we spent together in the film’s overall atmosphere. I believe that memorable works often let you see the creator through the screen, which is not something everyone can achieve. As someone involved in creating, I felt a mix of envy and admiration for Hiroshi’s ability to achieve this. The film conveyed that despite many people and conditions involved in its creation, the staff and cast truly resonated with Hiroshi’s vision, resulting in a genuinely great team effort.”
Continuing, Yoshiyuki said, “It’s amazing to see Hiroshi, the youngest and most beloved of us siblings, complete the project exactly how he envisioned it and present it to the audience. I’m really grateful to everyone who supported him.” Hiroshi responded, “I was truly allowed to do things my way, and I received a lot of help from those around me,” expressing his gratitude to the staff once again.
Reflecting on the scenes between the protagonist, Takuya, and his older brother, Hiroshi revealed, “Takuya’s older brother at the dinner table was somewhat inspired by Yoshiyuki,” drawing from his own experiences. Yoshiyuki chuckled, “Oh, you mean the brother who gives harsh advice? I might not like that much (laughs).” However, Hiroshi explained that his depiction of the “older brother” character was influenced by Yoshiyuki’s realism: “It’s the kind of realistic perspective where, as a kid, I might be told ‘Santa doesn’t exist’ (laughs). But including this kind of distance and perspective adds value to the story because it resonates with the audience’s more objective viewpoint.”
Furthermore, Yoshiyuki added, “Another thing about this film is that it’s not just gentle and soft, but it also has moments of sharpness and strictness, which I think reflects Hiroshi’s personality. Also, while there’s a common tone with ‘I Don’t Like Jesus,’ I believe Hiroshi is much more multifaceted. People are complex and contradictory beyond words, so I’m looking forward to seeing future works that offer a different perspective from the previous two.”
When asked about handling the cinematography for ‘My Sunshine’ himself, Hiroshi explained, “To achieve a documentary-like feel, I avoided using storyboards and made decisions on how to shoot based on the actors’ performances on set. I only showed some of the cut divisions to a few lighting technicians and didn’t share them with the actors or other staff. For the skating scenes, I found that the best way to capture the shots was to use filming equipment while wearing skating shoes on the rink, so it had to be done by me.”
Previously, the two had collaborated on an advertisement for a company. Reflecting on that experience, Yoshiyuki recalled, “We had a huge argument on set. Even though we were looking at the same scene, our angles and shooting methods were completely mismatched. It really made me realize how different people’s perspectives can be.” Hiroshi added, “During that shoot, Yoshiyuki told me that photographing women from the side or behind is often more beautiful and realistic than from the front, and I still keep that advice in mind. I considered it when deciding on the angles for Takuya’s falling in love with Sakura in this film.”
The talk show concluded with mention of Yoshiyuki’s upcoming independent film, ‘At the Bench,’ set to premiere on November 15. The event ended with a sense of mutual inspiration between the brothers.
My Sunshine
(C)2024 “My Sunshine” Production Committee / COMME DES CINÉMAS
Director / Cinematography / Screenplay / Editing: Hiroshi Okuyama
Cast: Keitaro Koshiyama, Kira Nakanishi, Sosuke Ikematsu, Tatsuya Wakaba, Maho Yamada, Ko Uru, and others
Theme Song: Humbert Humbert
Running Time: 90 minutes
Distribution: Tokyo Theatres
Official Website: bokunoohisama.com
Official Hashtag: #ぼくのお日さま
Official X: @bokuno_ohisama ▶ twitter.com/bokuno_ohisama
Official Instagram: @bokuno_ohisama ▶ www.instagram.com/bokuno_ohisama
‘At the Bench’
©2024 Yoshiyuki Okuyama/Spoon Inc, All Rights Reserved.
Director: Yoshiyuki Okuyama
Cast: Suzu Hirose (Episodes 1 & 5), Taiga Nakano (Episodes 1 & 5), Yukino Kishii (Episode 2), Amane Okayama (Episode 2), Ryo Rarukawa (Episode 2), Mio Imada (Episode 3), Nana Mori (Episode 3), Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (Episode 4), Riho Yoshioka (Episode 4), Ryunosuke Kamiki (Episode 4)
Screenplay: Miku Ubukata (Episodes 1 & 5), Sho Hasumi (Episode 2), Muneko Nemoto (Episode 3), Yoshiyuki Okuyama (Episode 4)
Music: Yuma Abe
Planning & Production: Yoshiyuki Okuyama
Producer: Dai Sano
Cinematography: Keisuke Imamura
Sound: Masayuki Sato
Art: Hanako Noda
Costume: Daisuke Iga
Hair & Makeup: Shinji Konishi / Aki Kudo
Editing: Kenichi Hirai / Yoshiyuki Okuyama
Assistant Director: Yuta Suzuki
Production Manager: Ryo Kamiya
Colorist: Chino Kobayashi
Online Editing: Seri Tsuchiya
Graphic Design: Naoki Yago
Distribution and Promotion: Ayano Ikeda
Production & Distribution: SPOON
2024 | Japan | 86 minutes | Color | Vista | 5.1ch | English Title: AT THE BENCH
©2024 Yoshiyuki Okuyama/Spoon Inc, All Rights Reserved.
Official Website: https://www.spoon-inc.co.jp/at-the-bench/
Official Hashtag: #アットザベンチ
Opening Nationwide on November 15, 2024, at Theatre Shinjuku, 109 Cinemas Nishi-Kasai, Theatre Umeda, and more
