Since winning the Grand Prix at the last Van Cliburn Piano Competition, 20-year-old Nobuyuki Tsujii has become world famous, though he was already a star in his native Japan. Blind since birth, Tsujii automatically drew attention as a piano prodigy, which is why his life has been well-documented up until now.
"Hodohatsu Documentary Sengen" (News Dispatch Documentary Declaration; TV Asahi, Mon., 7 p.m.) edits together available footage from the last 11 years of Tsujii's life. The documentary chronicles his growth as an artist, but it mainly shows the close relationship he has with his mother, who says that when she first learned her son would be blind for life, she cursed God.
Then, one Christmas day, she heard "Jingle Bells" coming from the children's room in her house and opened the door to find 2-year-old Nobuyuki playing the song on a toy piano with both hands. Her life hasn't been the same since.