Cutie and the Boxer

description

An intimate reflection on love, sacrifice, and the creative spirit, this candid New York story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of renowned “boxing” painter Ushio Shinohara and his artist wife, Noriko.

As a rowdy, confrontational young artist in Tokyo, Ushio seemed destined for fame, moving to New York City in 1969. When 19-year-old Noriko moved to New York to study art, she fell in love with Ushio—abandoning her education to become the wife and assistant to an unruly, alcoholic husband. Over the course of their marriage, the roles have shifted. Now 80, Ushio struggles to establish his artistic legacy, while Noriko is at last being recognized for her own art. Spanning four decades, the film is a moving portrait of a couple wrestling with sacrifice, disappointment and aging, against a background of lives dedicated to art.

OFFICIAL SELECTION:
Sundance Film Festival 2013
Tribeca Film Festival 2013
True/False Film Festival 2013
AFI Docs 2013