IDFA 2013
Chikara - The Sumo Wrestler's Son
Sumobryderens søn
Simon Lereng Wilmont, Simon Lereng Wilmont (merged)
Denmark, Japan
2013
32 min
World Premiere
Chikara is a 10-year-old Japanese boy who has been training all summer long for an important sumo-wrestling match. He’s very talented, and expectations are high – especially given that his father Harumitsu used to be a professional sumo wrestler. Like many other Japanese parents, Harumitsu works very hard and Chikara doesn’t see his father as often as he would like. So when his father manages to help him train, Chikara tries to do his very best. He wants his father to be proud of him, and that means he needs to win. But in the weeks leading up to the competition, the young boy starts to doubt himself, and he becomes more and more nervous. He doesn’t want to bother his father with worry, but sometimes the tears flow anyway – to Chikara’s huge frustration. He should be stronger than that. As we follow the boy through his intense training sessions and on the occasional day off, he shares with us his inner thoughts, deepest feelings and doubts.
Credits
Screening copy
Danish Film Institute
Danish Film Institute
Executive producer
Cinematography
Involved TV Channel
NRK Super,
DR Ultra
NRK Super,
DR Ultra
Co-production
Nordisk Film & TV Fond,
Danish Film Institute
Nordisk Film & TV Fond,
Danish Film Institute