‘Petal Dance’ Director Ishikawa Hiroshi Ends 13-Year Feature Hiatus With ‘The Blue We Touch’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Japanese filmmaker Ishikawa Hiroshi, whose credits include “Tokyo.sora,” “Su-ki-da.” and “Petal Dance,” is back with his first feature in 13 years. His new film, “the blue we touch” (original title: “Awo no Jo”), is in post-production and will be released in Japan in 2027 by Bitters End, which unveiled the project ahead of the Tokyo International Film Festival‘s TIFFCOM market.

The ensemble drama centers on a pair of former friends and traces the hard-to-name feelings that pass between people. Nao heads the cast as Mitsu, 29, who does contract web design and wants a permanent job, along with a chance to make work that connects with an audience. She is drawn to Fujino (Nakajima Ayumu), who runs HR at her firm, and slowly starts to share grievances she has kept quiet about for a long time.

Karata Erika plays Ayane, who works nights while preparing for a career as a public prosecutor. She crosses paths with Tomoki (Aoki Yuzu), an art student who can’t get his figure drawing right, and agrees to sit for him as a model. The arrangement opens up Tomoki’s work, while Ayane finds her way back to memories she treasures.

Nakano Arisa, who made her screen debut in Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” plays Nozomi, a classmate of Tomoki’s who watches him change up close.

Ishikawa handled writing, directing and editing duties. He won awards as a commercials director before moving into features with “Tokyo.sora” in 2002. “Su-ki-da.” followed in 2006 and earned him best director at the New Montreal FilmFest, with “Petal Dance” arriving in 2013. His work is known for its careful handling of color and its feel for the mood of ordinary days.

Nao’s earlier films include “The Last 10 Years” and “Sensei’s Pious Lie.” Karata has appeared in “Asako I & II,” “Desert of Namibia” and Netflix’s “The Queen of Villains,” while Nakajima’s credits span TBS’ “Until the T-Shirt Dries,” “Happyend” and “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy.” Aoki’s résumé includes “5 Centimeters per Second,” “Blue Lock” and “Minamata.”

Bitters End has been active for more than three decades, releasing films in Japan by Hamaguchi Ryusuke, Bong Joon-ho, the Dardenne brothers, Jia Zhangke, Roy Andersson and Gianfranco Rosi. Its recent releases include “Below the Clouds,” “Young Mothers” and “The Odyssey.”

On the production side, the company’s credits include Oscar winner “Drive My Car” and Locarno Golden Leopard recipient “Two Seasons, Two Strangers.” This year, “All of a Sudden,” which took a prize at Cannes and is Japan’s Oscar submission for international feature, played in competition, and “All the Lovers in the Night” made the Un Certain Regard lineup.

Bitters End is now growing its international sales operation. “In My Father’s Room” competed at San Sebastián, where it took the Fipresci Prize and the Ateneo Guipuzcoano Award.