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Shibire

Numb
Panorama 2026
© “Numb” Film Partners
In the snowy coastal city of Niigata, which is blanketed in grey skies and the roar of winter waves, Daichi, a boy who lost his voice under the tyranny of his father in early childhood, lives in a prefab room on the rooftop of an old multi-tenant building with his mother, Aki. She works in the nightlife trade, pours her earnings into men and is rarely home. The days of the two are defined by their extreme poverty and deep separation from society. The shy and withdrawn Daichi is searching for small traces of solace and love, yet finds no place to belong. Aki, now suffering from severe liver cirrhosis caused by years of alcoholism, moves with Daichi into the home of her sister, a devout follower of a new religious sect. There, Aki endures oppressive demands from her controlling lover, but clings to him even as she is harmed, while Daichi can do nothing but watch. Then, a faint light shines into his life: he experiences a sudden, breathtaking love and his fate, buffeted by forces far beyond his grasp, begins to shift.

Trailer/Film Excerpt

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by Takuya Uchiyama (Director, Screenplay)
with Takumi Kitamura, Rie Miyazawa, Tsukasa Enomoto, Anji Kato, Masatoshi Nagase Japan 2025 Japanese 118' Colour International premiere

With

  • Takumi Kitamura (Daichi)
  • Rie Miyazawa (Aki)
  • Tsukasa Enomoto (Daichi (15))
  • Anji Kato (Daichi (11))
  • Masatoshi Nagase (Ohara)

Crew

Director Takuya Uchiyama
Screenplay Takuya Uchiyama
Cinematography Hyogo Mitsuoka
Editing Kenichi Hirai
Sound Design Mitsugu Shiratori
Production Design Naoka Fukushima
Costumes Hiroaki Iriyama
Make-Up Mariko Tanaka
Producers Takuro Nagai, Yasushi Miyamae, Shintaro Hori, Mao Osaki, Naomi Satoh
Executive Producers Riki Takeuchi, Ryusuke Nakajima, Akira H., Hiroki Tanaka, Takashi Shinomiya, Naomi Satoh, Yasushi Miyamae, Takuya Uchiyama
Co-Producer Ryoichiro Homma

Produced by

RIKI PROJECT

Tokio, Japan

ColorBird

Tokio, Japan

World Sales

ColorBird

Tokio, Japan

Photos

Takuya Uchiyama

© “Numb” Film Partners

Born in 1992 in Niigata, Japan, he studied at Bunka Fashion College and began his career as a stylist before turning to film. At 23, he directed his debut feature film, Vanitas, which screened at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and won the audience award at the Pia Film Festival in Tokyo. His theatrical debut, Sasaki in My Mind, premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival and won several newcomer awards. 2024 saw the release of The Young Strangers, a co-production between Japan, France, South Korea and Hong Kong for which he also wrote the screenplay.

Filmography

2016 Vanitas 2020 Sasaki in My Mind 2024 Wakaki mishiranu monotachi (The Young Strangers) 2026 Shibire (Numb); Berlinale 2026

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026