Hiroshi Okuyama is a 28-year-old filmmaker from Japan. He likes to tell stories about things from his childhood. His new movie is about a boy and a girl who become friends because they both like ice skating.
When he was just 22, Okuyama made his first movie, “Jesus.” It won an award at a prominent film festival. He’s releasing his new movie, “My Sunshine,” at the Cannes Film Festival.
“My Sunshine” is also based on Okuyama’s memories from when he was a kid. It’s about a boy named Takuya who lives in a small village in Northern Japan. Takuya wants to play something other than ice hockey like everyone else. Instead, he meets a girl named Sakura, who loves ice dancing. They decide to skate together for a competition.
Okuyama wanted to remind people of the feelings they had when they were kids. He thinks we lose some of those feelings as we grow up. “My Sunshine” is like a diary of Takuya’s growth from winter to spring.
Finding the right actors, especially kids who can skate well, was the movie’s most challenging part. But Okuyama’s skill with young actors and the film’s emotional depth got him compared to famous Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda. Okuyama is honored by the comparison and wants to live up to it in his future work.