Design Indaba: Film Fest - Cutie and the Boxer

Cutie and the Boxer, directed by Zachary Heinzerling, explores the 40-year marriage of renowned "boxing" painter Ushio Shinohara and his artist wife, Noriko. As a confrontational young artist in Tokyo, Ushio seemed destined for fame, but met with little commercial success after he moved to New York City in 1969, seeking international recognition. When 19-year-old Noriko moved to New York to study art, she fell in love with Ushio, abandoning her education to become his wife and assistant. 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 recognised as an artist in her own right.

Cutie and the Boxer is one of the five films nominated for Best Documentary at the 86th annual Academy Awards.