Free Screening of Award-winning Animation Film at the Nihongo Fiesta 2016
The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) invites everyone to the special screening of the award-winning animation film “Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai” on February 27 (Saturday) from 3:30p.m. at the Shang Cineplex Cinema 1 (6th level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City) as part of the Nihongo Fiesta 2016, JFM’s annual event celebrating the colorful culture and arts of Japan and showcasing the Japanese language.
Admission to the film screening is free but numbered tickets will be issued on a first-come, first served, one ticket per person basis only from 10:00a.m. on February 27 at the entrance of Shang Cineplex Cinema 1. The film will be shown with English subtitle.
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OVERVIEW
Production I.G presents Miss Hokusai (original title: Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai) the new animated feature film from Annecy-winning director Keiichi Hara (Summer Days with Coo, Colorful). The film is based on the original manga, Sarusuberi (Crape Myrtle) by Hinako Sugiura, and it is scripted by Miho Maruo (Colorful). The main staff includes character designer and chief animator Yoshimi Itazu (Denno Coil, The Wind Rises, Dreaming Machine) and background artist Hiroshi Ono (A Letter to Momo, Wolf Children). Focussing of little-known but incredibly talented Hokusai’s daughter O-Ei, Miss Hokusai was theatrically released in Japan on May 9, 2015 and had its international premiere in competition at the 39th Annecy Animation Film Festival, where it was greeted with the Jury Award.
SYNOPSIS OF THE SHORT STORY
Katsushika Hokusai is one of the most globally famous Japanese artists. His works inspired Monet and Debussy. His Great Wave off Kanagawa is so iconic that it can be seen on t-shirts and coffee mugs all over the world. However, very few are aware of his daughter, and how she contributed to her father’s art. This is the story of O-Ei, Master Hokusai’s daughter; a lively portrayal of a free-spirited, utterly outspoken and highly talented woman unfolding through the changing seasons: “We’re father and daughter; with two brushes and four chopsticks, we’ll get by anywhere.”
DIRECTOR’S PROFILE
Born in 1959, Hara’s early credits include hit family series, such as Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan. He then shifted to independent filmmaking, pursuing more personal projects. International recognition came with Summer Days with Coo (2007) and Annecy-winning Colorful (2010), both awarded at the Japan Academy Prizes, and theatrically distributed in France and other countries. His latest directorial effort, Miss Hokusai, received the Jury Award at Annecy 2015. Hara admires classic filmmakers such as Yasujiro Ozu and Keisuke Kinoshita, to whom he dedicated his first live-action movie in 2013, Dawn of a Filmmaker: The Keisuke Kinoshita Story.
This is a press release from The Japan Foundation Manila
