NHK Drama Heads to Sweden’s SVT

TOKYO: The one-off drama Goldfish from NHK is to air on Sveriges Television (SVT) of Sweden, through a deal signed by NHK Enterprises.

Goldfish tells the story of a bond formed between two lonely people. Murata is a gruff, eccentric yet successful novelist who spent his younger years as a playboy in Tokyo. Morimi is a young editor who comes from Tokyo to collect Murata’s manuscripts. She is also a cancer patient. The 53-minute production delivers a story about life and death. Goldfish will air on SVT2 in prime time on December 2.

Yukihiko Amagi, NHK Enterprises’ executive VP, commented: “We’re thrilled about the deal with SVT. The main international market for NHK drama has always been Asia. We’ve been hoping to break into other territories, so we’re delighted that SVT shares our enthusiasm about Goldfish.”

Hiroshi Kurosaki, director and producer of Goldfish, said: “I’m very happy that a small production made on a small island in Hiroshima is going to be shown in Sweden. I’m sure the islanders who voluntarily took part in the drama will be excited. I deliberately left many scenes ambiguous so viewers can make their own interpretations. I hope the story and my approach to telling it will resonate with Swedish viewers as much as they have done with Japanese viewers.”

Gudrun Kjellberg, acquisitions executive at SVT, added: “SVT is proud to be airing Goldfish, which to no surprise has received several prestigious awards in 2010. This truly intimate and personal depiction of an emotional and social clash between two people on a remote Japanese island captures universal truths on many levels. Under the seemingly simple surface there is a tangle of complications and circumstances we can all identify with: social status, age and gender to separate, captivating compassion to unite. Furthermore I believe the Swedish viewers will recognize the poetry and—even—cautious humor of Goldfish.”