‘My Sunshine’ Kenshi Yonezu, Koji Yakusho, and Others Recommend Movies You Want to Watch Again and Again!

The film 〈My Sunshine〉 depicts Takuya's unforgettable winter story, who for the first time wants to do well with the first snow. It is the new work of director Hiroshi Okuyama, who won the title of 'Youngest Winner at International Film Festivals' with his debut work. His second film, 〈My Sunshine〉, which he presented after six years, has received acclaim from critics and audiences at major film festivals around the world, starting with the invitation to the Un Certain Regard at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Set against the backdrop of a small town covered in snow, it tells the story of a boy and a girl sharing their hearts through skating, conveying the essence and aftertaste of winter, drawing attention with the enthusiastic recommendations of various artists.

First, popular musician Kenshi Yonezu said, “Hiroshi Okuyama's visuals have a delicacy that makes even the mundane scenes we usually overlook feel like they are viewed through a microscope, and because of that, even the smallest words or breaths are greatly amplified,” highlighting the strengths of director Hiroshi Okuyama, with whom he formed a connection through the music video for 「The Globe」 (theme song of Hayao Miyazaki's 〈How Do You Live?〉). He passionately described 〈My Sunshine〉 as “a movie you want to go back to and watch again and again.”

Koji Yakusho, the national actor of Japan who won the Best Actor award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival for 〈Perfect Days〉, said, “A clear and beautiful film. All the actors are charming. Director Okuyama's wonderful direction captures the natural charm of the actors, and the cinematic sense is excellent.” Kenki Kawamura, director of the film 〈Exit 8〉, expressed, “It felt like suddenly opening a treasure box of childhood memories that I had kept inside the closet. It was painful, embarrassing, but a very precious world like a secret garden.” Ryo Asai, a Naoki Prize-winning author known for the novel [My Friend Kirishima Quit the Club], said, “I want to see this world as snow and sunlight,” offering heartfelt praise for the work.

Additionally, Lucas Donte, director of 〈Close〉, described it as “a soft, jewel-like film that must be experienced on the big screen,” while Isao Yukisada, director of the film 〈Shouting Love at the Center of the World〉, said, “A masterpiece that beautifully depicts that time standing at the entrance of youth.” Comedian and novelist Naoki Matayoshi remarked, “Complex emotions that cannot be expressed in words are beautifully portrayed through stunning visuals and a delicate story,” and creative director Michihiko Yanai praised Okuyama Hiroshi's work, which embodies a unique aesthetic and sensibility, stating, “Silent dialogues, light that does not use shadows, and songs that become themes, this is a film by Hiroshi Okuyama that no one else can create.”

Following his previous work, in the new film 〈My Sunshine〉, director Hiroshi Okuyama took on the roles of directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and editing all by himself, creating a poetic work that stimulates the vivid sense of the seasons, as he intended to depict the boy's growth from the beginning of snowfall until it melts. With the warm praise from the global media, critics, and artists, the attention is now on the box office and word-of-mouth of 〈My Sunshine〉, which domestic film fans will meet on the screen. The gem-like film 〈My Sunshine〉, strongly recommended by famous figures in popular culture, will be available in theaters nationwide on January 7 (Wednesday).