André Hayato Saito seeks funding for Japanese-Brazilian film in Tokyo

Japanese-Brazilian filmmaker André Hayato Saito has entered his first feature film, ‘Yellow Chrysanthemum,’ into the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market to secure production funds.

Set in São Paulo during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the drama follows Erika, a 16-year-old third-generation Japanese-Brazilian who feels disconnected from her cultural roots. The narrative centers on a long-standing family silence following the disappearance of Erika’s cousin, Yam, during a traditional festival in the Liberdade neighborhood when Erika was seven. The arrival of a classmate, Bianca, who is openly mourning her mother, forces the family to confront their buried grief and the circumstances of Yam’s disappearance.

Saito, whose short film ‘Amarela’ was a 2024 Cannes Palme d’Or competitor and an Oscar shortlist selection, intends for this feature to continue his exploration of identity, memory, and the dual nature of silence within Japanese-Brazilian culture.