TSU

TSU is a coming-of-age story that follows the journey of Yuki, a high school student living in rural Japan. As graduation day approaches, Yuki is plagued by mounting expectations and frustrations. The pressure of his challenging university entrance exams and his complicated relationship with his family reach a boiling point, causing him to flee into the mountains. He discovers an independent collective of people living off the grid for years. As Yuki sheds the trappings of his old life and experiences the wild, he learns a valuable lesson - that true freedom is only possible when you have nothing left to lose. He doesn't achieve any grand triumph but instead runs away, gets hurt, and loses more until nothing is left to lose. It is in this moment of vulnerability that he experiences a rebirth. TSU is a dialect in Saga prefecture, meaning scab. Just as a scab protects a wound during healing and awaits new skin, Yuki's journey is one of self-discovery and re-birth. "TSU" is an impactful story that is complete with suspense, action, and a dash of fantasy, leaving a lasting impression on the heart and soul of the viewer.

Do you remember your youth? I do. I was angry and full of disgust. Life as a youth is full of complexity, lies, and contradictions. Trying to understand the difference between reality and hope, yourself and others, the past and the future, and love and hate. When I was eighteen years old, I left Japan and moved to England with dreams of becoming a professional soccer player. However, that dream ended rather quickly, and I found myself with nothing. No English ability, no friends, no money, no phone, no Internet, and no purpose. Imagine going to McDonald's and needing help understanding something the cashier is saying. I couldn't even order a Coke. I felt like I was lost on a different planet. I felt isolated and useless and started to lose the will to live. As the days went by, things progressively got worse and worse. I desperately needed to find somebody to blame for my misfortunes because it wasn’t my fault! It then dawned on me… it was him! It was his fault. He was the one to blame. "I did nothing wrong and tried my best, and THIS is what you give me in return?" I realized, he won’t save me, he can’t save me… because he doesn’t exist. If he doesn't exist, then heaven doesn't exist, and if there's no heaven, there's no hell. The only thing that I was positive did exist was what I needed to do. I didn’t need to search for the meaning of life. I just had to live. I thought I was being punished for something… but I was being rewarded. I was given the gift of freedom. There was no good or bad, better or worse. Everything was fair and honest. Whatever I saw, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted, all felt fresh and new. I absorbed it all up like a dry sponge in water. I grew; I rose and soaked everything up. I was alive! Alive at last. I only came to this realization because I had lost everything. I rid myself of the things I thought I wanted. Back to zero, starting over. I found the strength to be new again.My favorite quote is from the 1999 Film, "Fight Club." “It's only after we’ve lost everything that you are free to do anything.” I still live by this motto today.