It has been announced that the film "Piccola felicita ~Small Happiness~", in which actor Mizutani Yutaka plays five roles - planning, directing, writing, producing and starring - will be released on April 24th. Mizutani revealed on the information program "Udo Times" (TV Asahi) last year that this would be the first time he and his eldest daughter, actor Shuri, would co-star in a film together, and now it has been officially announced that they will be co-starring in this film. This will be Mizutani's fourth film as a director.
The title "Piccola felicita" means "small happiness" in Italian. The story depicts the human drama of three couples who find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. Mizutani plays Sato Sotaro, a family restaurant worker who divorced eight years ago and lives alone, unable to see his daughter. Other cast members include Iketani Nobue, Nahana, Kawai Gamon, and Jun Hashimoto. The cinematographer is Aida Masahiro, who has worked with Mizutani for many years on the TV Asahi drama series "Aibou."
The official trailer has also been released. The film features Sato, who is retiring from the family restaurant where he has worked for many years, and staff member Chieko Kakinuma (played by Iketani), who looks on with kindness as he retires; painter Fujio Takahashi (played by Kawai) and his wife Miki (played by Nahana), who are beginning to seriously consider divorce; and Reo Tanaka (played by Hashimoto) and Aoi Shirakawa (Shuri), who are enjoying a harmonious date. The film calmly portrays an uneasy atmosphere, like the looming storm.
Along with the tagline "The Unpredictable World of MIZUTANI," the video also shows a man attempting suicide by jumping off a building, flying stacks of cash, and burning flames, creating a suspenseful atmosphere.
Mizutani recalled, "In discussions with cinematographer Aida, we both decided that the theme of this film should be 'art.' In other words, while depicting the small joys of everyday life and human relationships, we wanted to create footage where each scene was as beautiful as a painting, something that people would want to cut out and hang on the wall. Once I started thinking about it, images I wanted to shoot came to me one after another."
Upon seeing the finished film, he commented, "I felt like it had finally begun. It felt like my own world had finally begun. I've been in this industry for a long time, but I'd never felt that way before. It was truly my 'Piccola Felicita'." He added, "This time, the film will not only be screened in theaters, but will also be shown in screenings all over the country. I hope that everyone will watch the film and find their own 'little happiness'."
