Acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Michihito Fujii is preparing a crime drama centred on a blind orphan and ex-yakuza, which Toei will introduce to international buyers at the European Film Market (EFM) this week.
A Light In The Harbor marks the latest feature from Fujii, known for 2019 box office hit The Journalist, which won three prizes including best film at Japan’s Academy Awards and was spun-off into a Netflix series of the same name.
The upcoming drama follows an ex-yakuza who steals money from his old gang to pay for an operation to restore the sight of a blind orphan. It is set in Japan’s northwestern Hokuriku region.
The feature is in post-production and scheduled to be released in winter 2025.
Fujii made two films that were released in 2024: romantic drama 18x2 Beyond Youthful Days, a co-production with Taiwan that sold well internationally; and Faceless, which is nominated for best film at the upcoming Japan Academy Film Prize. He is also the director of upcoming Netflix series Last Samurai Standing, which is set to debut in November.
A Light in the Harbor was shot on film by by Daisaku Kimura, a cinematographer and director who has been named a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government. Kimura is a three-time winner of the Mainichi Film Award for best cinematography, including for his own film Mt. Tsurugidake (2009).
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