Kickstart This – Coming Back Sunny by Noriko Yuasa

Noriko Yuasa is currently raising funds for her latest independent short film Coming Back Sunny which focuses on a color-blind schoolgirl. Riria Kojima plays prematurely jaded seventeen-year-old Shiori, who is suddenly able to see the world around her in all its resplendent glory when her eyes undergo a remarkable adjustment. Taking place in modern Japan, the short aims to examine the enduring themes of love and fate through a very particular aesthetic that conveys the protagonist’s newfound sensory experience.

As Yuasa explains at the project’s Kickstarter page:

I took a method of using color to visualize the very moment the main character encounters love. The main character, Shiori, is a high school girl with color blindness, and I wanted her to recognize the feeling of love through color.  This is a film depicted with vivid colors and modern music, which portrays her emotions when she discovers this rush for the first time. I hope this emotion and sentiment can transpire to all audiences.

Yuasa has been steadily developing her festival profile with such well-received shorts as Looking for my Lost Sunflowers (2014) and Girl, Wavering (2015). In 2018, her efforts were recognized by the Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival who invited her to serve as a judge. Yuasa’s recent short Ordinary Everyday, which was originally part of the omnibus feature Kuruibana (2017), received a strong review from our critic Jason Maher who enthused, “Yuasa’s ability to dive into a strange story, not to mention her inventive use of sound and visual design, makes her a filmmaker that audiences should start tracking.”

As Yuasa plans to the festival circuit with Coming Back Sunny, she has already submitted the film to over 20 events. She is aiming to cover post-production costs, promotional fees, and travel and accommodation expenses so her crew can benefit from the networking opportunities afforded by international festivals.

Visit the film’s Kickstarter page where you can check out the opening five minutes of the short. You will also find full details of the rewards for backers which include a thank you video from the director, digital access to two of Yuasa’s short films, and the chance to have your name in the credits. Coming Back Sunny will be funded if it reaches its goal by April 19.