Storyville - Season 18 - Eps 6: Cutie and the Boxer
Oscar-nominated documentary which explores love, sacrifice and the creative spirit through the 40-year chaotic marriage of two Japanese artists in New York, by following the rivalries that emerge as the couple prepare for a joint exhibition. Surviving decades of hardship, thwarted aspirations and the husband's chronic alcoholism, they are a study in artistic symbiosis. Now 80 years old and finally sober, renowned 'boxing' painter Ushio still treats his wife Noriko as his assistant. Noriko, emerging from her husband's shadow, creates intimate drawings entitled 'Cutie' that tell the story of her challenging past with Ushio. The film moves fluidly between past and present, combining observational filming, archival footage and animated sequences of Noriko's drawings. A moving portrait of a couple wrestling with the eternal challenges of marriage, against a background of lives dedicated to art.
About Storyville
Title: Storyville
First Air Date: 1997-11-15
Last Air Date: 2025-10-28
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 7.6/10 (from 7 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 30
Total Episodes: 758
Network: BBC Four BBC Two
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: BBC Four
Synopsis
Showcasing the best in international documentaries, Storyville has developed an enviable reputation since its inception more than a decade ago. Screening over 340 films, from some 70 different countries, the strand has garnered a staggering array of awards: five Oscars, 15 Griersons, three Peabodys and two International Emmys. In true, unique, Storyville style, the new series promises to deliver the strand's usual eclectic mix of compelling stories from across the globe.
