It has been some time since we saw a film from Hiroshi Okuyama, after his impressive 2018 debut “Jesus”, although the truth is he was involved in “The Makanai” last year. “My Sunshine” revolves around figure skating, a sport the director himself trained in for seven years as a child, and premiered in the Un Certain Regard program at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was named as a nominee for the Queer Palm.
My Sunshine is screening at Busan International Film Festival
Takuya is a young member of the hockey team in a snowy provincial town in the north of Japan. He is not particularly enthused about the sport though, and in general, he has yet to find something he really likes to do. That changes, however, when he sees Sakura training in figure skating under the tutelage of Arakawa, a former ice skate dancer who is living in the town along with his male partner. The boy is smitten both by the girl and the sport, to a point, and decides to take it up.
Arakawa is dubious about his resolve at first, but soon warms up to the boy, spending much time with him training. Takuya’s family are also supportive, suggesting he should really dedicate himself to the sport, while Arakawa decides to pair his two students together as a couple for ice dancing. Sakura is a bit jealous in the beginning, but eventually warms up to Takuya, with the three of them becoming a dedicated group. Before their first official competition though, things take a turn for the worse.
Shot in 4:3 and in a visual style that can only be described as retro, “My Sunshine” is a film that soars from the director’s love for the particular sport, in an aspect that becomes rather evident throughout the movie. Starting from the starry eyed Takuya, the first time he witnesses the Sakura, and continuing with the training, the music selection, and the details of the sport including its differences with hockey and the differences between ice hockey and ice dancing, all highlight the fact in the most eloquent fashion.
The way Sakura and Takuya feel, Arakawa’s gay relationship in such a setting and Takuya’s relationship with his family provide the rest of the context here, although ice skating and the interactions between the three remain at the epicenter. Takuya’s feelings for Sakura are there, in a way that essentially mirrors his stutter, but it is this part, along with Sakura’s eventual reaction, that make the film stand out. Particularly the final scene will definitely stay on the mind of any viewer, with Okuyama concluding his movie in ideal fashion.
The ‘foggy and blurry” visuals, courtesy of Okuyama himself work quite well here, adding to a sense of nostalgia that seems to permeate the whole film. His editing results in a mid to slow tempo that mirrors life in areas that receive a lot of snow, while at 110 minutes, the movie does not overextend its welcome.
Keitatsu Koshiyama as Takuya and Kiara Takanashi as Sakura play their roles with realism, while the fact that they had experience as skaters is quite evident. Sosuke Ikematsu, who had to train for the part, is also quite good in the role of the conflicted mentor, although truth is, that none of the three parts is particularly demanding.
“My Sunshine” is definitely a very personal movie, and some love for ice skating is definitely a necessity. The relationship of the tree protagonists though, as much as the young teen romance, are quite appealing, resulting in a film that falls under the category ‘soup for the soul”.
