back

Keiko, me wo sumasete

Small, Slow But Steady
Encounters 2022
© 2022 « KEIKO ME WO SUMASETE » Production Committee & COMME DES CINEMAS
Keiko, a young pro boxer, was born with a hearing impairment. Boxing is a real challenge for her, but the club she belongs to is like a second home. After winning two difficult fights, a creeping fear begins to grow inside her. The club chairman, the only person who had accepted her as a boxer, is plagued by health issues and is losing his eyesight. Having learned that the gym is about to close for good, a confused Keiko goes on to her third bout. But perhaps the biggest challenge she faces is trying to understand the true nature and strength of her will to fight.
Inspired by Keiko Ogasawara’s autobiographical book “Makenaide!”, Keiko, me wo sumasete is a deeply moving character study powered by an unforgettable performance from rising star Yukino Kishii. Who needs speech when they have eyes as expressive as hers? Eyes that can either signify to her loving brother “I feel like being left alone right now”, or fill up with tears when experiencing human warmth and decency. Boxing, her coach reminds her, is about respect. Shot on gorgeous 16mm with razor-sharp precision and a deep sense of emotional truth, director Sho Miyake demonstrates this same sense of respect to tell this story of willpower put to the test.
To view this content, you must enable third-party cookies. >
by Shô Miyake
with Yukino Kishii, Tomokazu Miura, Masaki Miura, Shinichiro Matsuura, Himi Sato, Hiroko Nakajima, Nobuko Sendo Japan / France 2022 Japanese 99’ Colour World premiere

With

  • Yukino Kishii (Keiko Ogawa)
  • Tomokazu Miura (Katsumi Sasaki)
  • Masaki Miura (Makoto Hayashi)
  • Shinichiro Matsuura (Shintaro Matsumoto)
  • Himi Sato (Seiji Ogawa)
  • Hiroko Nakajima (Kiyomi Ogawa )
  • Nobuko Sendo (Chiharu Sasaki)

Crew

Director Shô Miyake
Screenplay Shô Miyake, Masaaki Sakai
Cinematography Yuta Tsukinaga
Gaffer Isamu Fujii
Editing Keiko Okawa
Sound Design Takamitsu Kawai
Production Design Shimpei Inoue
Art Director Daichi Watanabe
Costumes Nami Shinozuka
Make-Up Shihomi Mochizuki
Assistant Director Takashi Matsuo
Production Manager Takashi Ookawa
Producers Koichiro Fukushima, Masahiro Handa, Keisuke Konishi, Shunsuke Koga
Co-Producer Masa Sawada
Co-Production Comme des Cinémas Paris

World sales

Charades

http://www.charades.eu http://www.charades.eu

Produced by

Nagoya Broadcasting Network

“Keiko me wo sumasete” Production Committee

Photos

Berlinale Meets | Interview

Shô Miyake

© Maiko Seo 2024 All the Long Nights Film Partners

Shô Miyake was born in 1984, in Hokkaido. He graduated from Hitotsubashi University’s Faculty of Sociology, and completed the elementary course in fiction at the Film School of Tokyo. His film Small, Slow But Steady (2022) was officially entered in the Encounters section of the 72nd Berlinale. At the 77th Mainichi Film Awards it won the Japanese Film Grand Prize, the Best Director Award and five other prizes.

Filmography

2008 Spy no shita (Tongue of Spy); 2010 Yakutatazu (Good for Nothing); 2012 Playback 2014 The Cockpit; documentary 2017 Misshi to bannin 2018 Kimi no tori wa utaeru (And Your Bird Can Sing) 2019 Wairudo tsuâ (Wild Tour) 2020 Ju-on: Origins; series, 6 episodes 2022 Keiko, me wo sumasete (Small, Slow But Steady) 2024 Yoake no subete (All the Long Nights)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024