Snow Prince (2009 Film)

Snow Prince, known in Japanese as Snow Prince - Kinjirareta Koi no Melody, is a 2009 Japanese drama film directed by Joji Matsuoka and written by Kundo Koyama.

Production and Release

The film was distributed by Shochiku and released in Japan on December 12, 2009, with a runtime of 115 minutes. It was also featured at the 27th Hawaii International Film Festival in October 2009 under the Spotlight on Japan section.

Plot

Set in a snowy village, the story follows 10-year-old Sota who lives with his grandfather and a dog named Chibi in severe poverty. Despite being unable to afford school, Sota maintains his ambition to become a painter. He shares a childhood friendship with Sayo, a girl from a wealthy family, despite her father's disapproval. Sota attempts to gift Sayo a completed painting on a snowy night, only to encounter a fire at her family's storage building.

Cast

The main cast includes Shintaro Morimoto as Shota Harada, Marino Kuwajima as Sayo Harima, Teruyuki Kagawa as Masamitsu Harima, Rei Dan as Kiyo Harima, Tadanobu Asano as Hakio, and Katsuo Nakamura as Masakichi Harada. Keiko Kishi portrays Sayo Harima in the present day.