Four-Nation Film Seeks Final Capital to Finish Sao Paulo Grief Story
Producer Mayra Faour Auad is in Tokyo to close the financing gap for the André Hayato Saito project, which blends the 2014 World Cup with a family tragedy in Liberdade.
By Alina Carter ·
A four-nation film about a teenager’s silence and grief is looking for its final funding round in Tokyo.
The project, titled "Yellow Chrysanthemum," is the first feature from director André Hayato Saito. It is currently in pre-production after years of development. The story is set in São Paulo during July 2014, the month Brazil hosted the World Cup. The plot follows Erika, a 16-year-old third-generation Japanese-Brazilian who feels like an outsider in her home country. She rejects her family’s roots because of an incident from her childhood.
When Erika was seven, her cousin and closest friend, Yam, disappeared during a traditional festival in the Liberdade neighborhood. Erika’s mother was in charge of the children at the time. The family has kept a guilty silence about Yam’s absence ever since. The narrative is triggered when Erika befriends Bianca, a Black classmate who is openly mourning the recent death of her mother. This new bond forces Erika’s family to confront the long-hidden loss.
Saito drew on his own experience growing up in a Japanese-Brazilian household to write the script. He observed how silence in his family could express both love and respect while simultaneously hiding pain. His previous short films explored similar themes of grief, memory, and identity. The director described this feature as a continuation of that earlier body of work. He aims for audiences to recognize their own unspoken family dynamics in Erika’s journey.
The film is a co-production involving Brazil, Japan, Germany, and France. The development process included a win at the TorinoFilmLab Production Award and a selection for Focus Copro at Cannes. The production team plans to film a key sequence in November 2026. That scene will take place during a traditional Japanese Toro Nagashi ceremony held in Brazil.
Mayra Faour Auad, the founder of MyMama Entertainment, is producing the film. She has more than 20 credits, most of which are international co-productions. MyMama Entertainment is developing the project alongside One Two Films, Loaded Films, and Blue Monday. Auad produced Saito’s short film "Amarela," which follows a similar character arc during a World Cup final. That short competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2024 and was shortlisted for a live-action short Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards. It also won best live-action short at Brazil’s Grande Otelo Awards.
Auad is in Tokyo to close the financing gap for the project. She is meeting with producers, distributors, and sales agents who can help distribute the film across Asia. She noted that finding an audience in Japan is particularly meaningful given the film’s cultural roots. The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market operates as part of TIFFCOM, the content market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Saito is also developing his second feature, "Little Faults." That project recently earned a spot in Turin’s Boost IT Lab. The story follows an aging Japanese-Brazilian woman living in Japan who commits minor offenses. She hopes to land in prison, believing she will finally receive care and feel a sense of belonging.
