During the Venice Film Festival 2026 we spoke with director Xavier Tera, talking about his debut film The Color of the Sun, which was presented in the Orizzonti section of the Festival. The film explores life in Okinawa, Japan, through a poetic and observational lens, reflecting Tera’s background in photography, with an approach emphasizing subtlety and a restrained visual style, and aiming to immerse viewers in the everyday realities of adolescents in a complex geopolitical landscape.

The interviewDuring our interview on FRED Film Radio, director of The Color of the Sun Xavier Tera explains that his experience as a photographer deeply influenced the film’s aesthetic. He describes his intention to keep camera movements minimal, favoring a fixed, contemplative style that allows the audience to focus on the characters’ internal worlds. The film’s imagery, especially the luminous scenes of Okinawa, in the Japanese landscapes, draws from Tera’s previous photographic work, capturing the region’s unique light and atmosphere. While the director emphasizes that he did not set out to make a political film with The Color of the Sun, he acknowledges that Okinawa’s history and geopolitical issues inevitably shape the narrative. The film subtly touches on the island’s colonial past, its relationship with Japan, and the presence of American military bases. Tera points out that Okinawa’s ongoing struggles with cultural identity and social issues, such as high poverty and crime rates linked to the military presence, are woven into the fabric of the characters’ lives, believing that even in a personal story, political realities cannot be entirely ignored.

The post “The Color of the Sun”, interview with director Xavier Tera appeared first on Fred Film Radio.