Japan-Italy film team secures funding for drifter's road to Korea

The Tokyo International Film Festival’s content market, TIFFCOM, hosted the Gap-Financing Market where international buyers and partners gather to back independent cinema. One project seeking final funding was “The Blue Breaks,” a Japan-Italy co-production.

Uchiyama Takuya, known for “Numb,” directs the adaptation of Machiya Ryohei’s 2016 novel. The story follows Shukichi, a part-time worker in his thirties living at Japan’s western edge. Shukichi is a man conceived through sperm donation who feels detached from his identity. His life shifts after discovering his girlfriend has a son she no longer raises, and after a night with a solitary boxer of Korean descent.

The narrative introduces Toko, a terminally ill woman who maintains a light demeanor despite her condition. Her presence influences Shukichi and the group that eventually travels to Korea. In that country, the characters confront their respective lives and the reality of death.

Uchiyama said he chose the book because it was published in the year he began making films. He also noted that Machiya wrote the novel at the same age Uchiyama is now. The director related to Shukichi’s struggle with societal expectations of masculinity.

“Shukichi, the protagonist, struggles with the part of himself that never quite became ‘manly,’” Uchiyama said. “I’ve also spent much of my life feeling uncomfortable with what society expects a man to be.” He described the characters as distinct individuals in a society that often expects uniformity. He aimed to create a film about love that feels unapologetically romantic.

Satoh Naomi of Differentia produces the project alongside Parsifal Reparato of Antropica. The team is finalizing the screenplay, casting, and financing. A shoot is scheduled for 2027, with completion planned for 2028. The producers are targeting a premiere at an international festival.

Satoh noted that films resisting standard categories face financing hurdles in Japan. She cited the Berlinale selection of “Numb” as proof of Uchiyama’s international appeal. Reparato emphasized the value of the Italy-Japan co-production framework. He stated that building bridges between the two film industries is a priority for Antropica, which has active operations in Vietnam and other Asian markets.