Adventure to an Uninhabited Island by a Boy on a Ventilator - Film 'Return to My Blue' by Digital Hollywood University Graduate School Alumnus, Director Yuta Noguchi, Set for Nationwide Release

The short documentary film 'Return to My Blue,' directed by Yuta Noguchi, a graduate of Digital Hollywood University Graduate School and a director of dramas and films, will be released sequentially in theaters nationwide, starting with Kinocinema Shinjuku on Friday, July 24. This work, which poses the question 'what is it to live?' through the adventure of a boy who needs a ventilator and his mother, is Mr. Noguchi's first documentary. The film has already garnered high praise before its theatrical release, winning the Grand Prix at the 24th Nakanoshima Film Festival held in May this year and receiving awards at 20 overseas film festivals.

'Return to My Blue' is a documentary that follows a boy requiring medical care and a ventilator as he challenges himself to go to an uninhabited island with no electricity or water. It was a journey that faced the reality that one wrong step could be fatal in an environment that was far from safe. The moment the boy, who has difficulty even boarding a plane, is carried onto a small fishing boat heading for the island, wheelchair and all, the tense atmosphere was palpable—one misstep and he could fall into the sea. Yet, they chose to believe in their desire to 'just do it' and to live life to the fullest.

Director Yuta Noguchi says it all began with a single phrase from traveler and author Ayumu Takahashi. The protagonist, Soma, needs a ventilator, and the director admits his anxiety was endless about whether they could really go to an uninhabited island without electricity. As it was his first documentary, the director started from scratch by buying a camera. He reflects that as he spent time with them, he realized he had been unconsciously viewing people through the labels of 'disabled' and 'able-bodied'.

After a long journey, they reached the uninhabited island. The moment Soma was held by his mother and entered the sea, a dazzling smile spread across his face. The director says he couldn't stop crying in the face of that overwhelming 'light'. He later realized that deep within those emotions lay his own origin and the presence of his grandfather. His grandfather was the person who taught him what it means to live from the closest perspective, but the regret of not being able to preserve that time in a tangible form is still etched in his heart. That is precisely why he felt a strong desire to leave this 'living moment' in the world.

From this experience, he decided to 'deliver this smile to as many people as possible and leave it for the world.' The 'Blue' in the title represents something like an origin point that everyone holds deep in their heart, and he hopes this work will be an opportunity for each person to return to their 'own blue.'

Director Yuta Noguchi graduated from Nihon University College of Art and completed his studies at Digital Hollywood University Graduate School. He has been involved in drama production since 2008, working on numerous projects including the NHK serial TV novels 'Anpan' and 'Yell,' and the Taiga drama 'Dousuru Ieyasu.' The origin of his creative activities lies in the regret of not being able to record the life of his grandfather, a survivor of the Siberian internment, which fuels his consistent desire to 'preserve people's stories.' Prior to this, his first documentary, his short film 'Samayoe Kioku' (Wandering Memory) also received high acclaim at film festivals in Japan and abroad.