Four-Year Development Ends as 'Yellow Chrysanthemum' Seeks Final Funds in Tokyo

The final funding round for the feature film "Yellow Chrysanthemum" is open. The project is currently in pre-production following several years of development. The team is presenting the work at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, which operates under the Tokyo International Film Festival content market, TIFFCOM.

The film is a co-production involving Brazil, Japan, Germany, and France. It follows a 16-year-old named Erika who lives in São Paulo. The story is set in July 2014 during the World Cup. Erika is a third-generation Japanese-Brazilian who feels like an outsider. She rejects her family’s cultural roots after her cousin Yam disappeared during a festival in the Liberdade neighborhood when she was seven. The family has maintained a silent agreement about the loss ever since.

The narrative shifts when Erika befriends Bianca, a Black classmate who is grieving the recent death of her mother. Bianca’s openness forces Erika to confront her own suppressed emotions. This pressure makes the family unable to ignore the absence of Yam. Director André Hayato Saito stated that the story draws on his own childhood experiences. He recalled asking his father about death and receiving a long silence in return. He noted that such silence in Japanese-Brazilian households can express love while concealing pain.

Saito previously directed the short film "Amarela." That project also featured a character named Erika and explored similar themes of identity and tradition. "Amarela" competed for the short film Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2024. It was shortlisted for a live-action short Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards. It won best live-action short at Brazil’s Grande Otelo Awards. The short is part of a trilogy that includes "Kokoro to Kokoro" and "Vento Dourado." Saito describes the new feature as a continuation of this work.

The production team has completed several development milestones. The project won the TorinoFilmLab Production Award after participating in that program. It was also selected for Focus Copro at Cannes. Producer Mayra Faour Auad, founder of MyMama Entertainment, has more than 20 credits, primarily in international co-productions. She produced "Amarela" and is developing "Yellow Chrysanthemum" with One Two Films, Loaded Films, and Blue Monday.

Faour Auad said the team hopes to close the financing gap in Tokyo. The goal is to meet producers, distributors, and sales agents who can distribute the film across Asia. She stated that finding an audience in Japan has particular meaning given the film’s roots. Saito is also developing his second feature, "Little Faults." That project earned a place in Turin’s Boost IT Lab this year. It follows an aging Japanese-Brazilian woman in Japan who commits minor offenses hoping to find care in prison.

The team plans to shoot a key sequence at a traditional Japanese Toro Nagashi ceremony in Brazil in November. This event will take place after the Tokyo market concludes. The film remains in pre-production until the financing gap is closed. Saito said he wants audiences to recognize their own families in Erika’s journey and reflect on unspoken issues. He does not intend to offer easy answers or conventional closure.