Noriko met artist Ushio Shinohara in New York when she was nineteen years old. She was captivated by the struggling artist, even though he was twenty years her senior, and has been by his side ever since (over forty years), helping him to produce and navigate the sale of his art, mainly large-scale “boxing” paintings in which he literally punches paint from one edge of the canvas to the other. While Ushio’s work has garnered acclaim, it is still hard for the couple to make ends meet. Despite living in the shadows of her husband’s grand ideas and his demanding approach, Noriko has continued to make her own artwork. She develops a series of drawings entitled Cutie that reveal aspects of her challenging life with Ushio. When a curator expresses interest in the drawings, the attention intensifies the strain on Noriko and Ushio’s relationship. Through animations of her drawings and an intimate vantage on their lives, this exceptional film reveals the delicate intricacies of dreams, love, and true partnership—in art and in marriage.  ST