Japanese Drifter’s Road Trip to Korea Drives Uchiyama Takuya’s ‘The Blue Breaks’ at Tokyo Gap-Financing Market
Japanese filmmaker Uchiyama Takuya is developing *The Blue Breaks*, a Japan-Italy co-production about a rootless man whose search for belonging leads him and those around him on a journey to Korea. The project was presented at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market as its producers seek funding and international partners.
Shukichi, a part-time worker in his thirties, is unsettled by discoveries about his girlfriend and encounters that deepen his questions about identity and sexuality. Meeting Toko, a terminally ill young woman who faces life with lightness, begins to change his outlook. The team is working on the screenplay and casting, with filming planned for 2027 and completion in 2028; it hopes to premiere at an international festival.
In short
- Uchiyama is developing a Japan-Italy film about belonging and identity.
- The characters’ journey leads them from Japan to Korea.
- Filming is planned for 2027, with completion in 2028.
Explained simply
Japan and Italy often work together on independent films, with producers seeking partners and funding across borders to bring a project to the screen. The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market is an industry event where filmmakers present projects that need money to complete their financing.
Uchiyama Takuya is a Japanese filmmaker developing The Blue Breaks with Italian partners. Its central character, Shukichi, is a part-time worker in his thirties who feels unsettled about his identity and relationships; meeting Toko, a seriously ill young woman, prompts him to reconsider his outlook.
The story’s journey to Korea connects its personal themes of belonging and self-understanding with a wider journey across countries. International partners can help films reach audiences beyond the country where they are made.
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