Private Project

SAKURA

"Utsumi is an office worker who has no idea what fun is, leading a monotonous, uninspired life.
On his day off, he goes to see the cherry blossoms. There he tries to focus, but does not know how to enjoy them like the other cherry blossom spectators.
On his way home, he finds a women's discarded love doll who calls himself Nishi, who begs to return to his owner. The doll declares that since being separated that he has discovered a love for his owner he had not recognized before.
The story of Nishi, made for the purpose of enjoyment, causes Utsumi to search his own feelings. Utsumi wonders if this might be the fun he is looking for and decides to return Nishi back to his owner."

  • Eiichi Takahashi
    Director
  • Eiichi Takahashi
    Writer
  • Ryu Yoshikawa
    Producer
  • Kota Fuji
    Producer
  • Naoya Asanuma
    Producer
  • Kota Fuji
    Key Cast
  • Ryu Yoshikawa
    Key Cast
  • Minami Kajihara
    Key Cast
  • Koichi Kawano
    Film Festival Submission Coordinator
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    500,000 JPY
  • Country of Origin:
    Japan
  • Country of Filming:
    Japan
  • Language:
    Japanese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Eiichi Takahashi

Eiichi Takahashi was born in Gifu Prefecture, Japan in 1990.
After studying architecture and fashion, he studied under director Shinya Tsukamoto.
He participated as an assistant director on his films The Whistler and Kotoko.
Since then, he has been making films and working as a video director, including NHK's "Tensai TV kun" and "Aoki Iro".
His feature film, Suncream and Windchimes, will be theatrically released in December 2023.

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Director Statement

"When I was a child, it was fun just to run around. But as I got older, the fun became more complicated and fragmented, and before I knew it, I had forgotten how to have fun. I wonder how much time we spend looking for fun to spend as much time as possible to have fun in the enormous amount of time we have until the end of our lives.
I hope that the my 19 minute short film will be a pleasant time for someone."