The completion of “Warmth in a Puddle” has been announced. This film was directed, written, and animated by Sorao Sakimura as a Kodansha Cinema Creators Lab special award project. You can read the comments sent to the completion report.

I have walked alongside this work for the past year. Every moment of pain and salvation is packed within this piece. Now that the work is complete and about to be presented to the world, it’s time for this work to walk alone. It’s a moment of loneliness for me, but at the same time, I feel a strange sense of fulfilment.

This is a piece about the difficulty of living. It’s the struggle that I experience. However, I believe there’s something beyond that. It’s something that doesn’t just end in a struggle.

I hope that every individual will realize their interpretation of “something” as this film gets more attention. This film could not have been completed on my own. I would especially like to appreciate Mr. Nagamori, the chief producer of Kodansha Cinema Creators Lab, was who not just a producer but a true “buddy” to me.

Also, I would like to express my gratitude here to everyone who participated in the production and contributed greatly, including Mr. Harada in music and sound.

“Warmth in a Puddle.” I believe a peculiar work has been created that cannot be labelled as a specific genre – animation or live-action, indie or commercial. I am very much looking forward to where this journey will lead to.

February 27, 2024
Sorao Sakimura