Driven by the memory of a deep shade of blue he cannot forget, Watanabe dedicates his life to the pursuit of recreating Japan’s most perfect shade of indigo. With each passing season, he seeks to understand the unique alchemy of factors that will bring forth his ideal hue — but none succeed. Fate introduces him to Kato, a young artisan who is colorblind. Kato too stands at a crossroads—will he let his condition limit him, or will he use his ability to see color in a way no one else can? “A Color I Named Blue” documents the transformative, inner journeys of these two Japanese indigo dyers: one uncovers the profound meaning within the hues of blue, while the other finds a new way to see through his colorblindness.

Sybilla Patrizia
Sybilla Patrizia is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and photographer from Austria, based in Tokyo. In her work, she merges her passion for social impact and human stories with her background in fashion to create thought-provoking stories that cross the border between documentary, art and design. As a multilingual creative who has lived in 7 countries across 3 continents, Sybilla has worked with international media and brands including BBC, Adidas, and NETFLIX. Her short doc ‘A Color I Named Blue’ about Japan’s art of indigo dyeing premiered at Sheffield DocFest, Palm Springs, and DC/DOX in 2025.