Japan Media Arts Festival – Film Programme

Sat 10/09
20:00   Redline | Dir. KOIKE Takeshi, 2009, 100 min. (English subtitles)

Sun 11/09
16:00   Kaiba | Dir. YUASA Masaaki, 2008, 3 x 23 min. (TV animation)

18:00   Film talk with director Masaaki Yuasa

20:00   Mind Game | Dir. YUASA Masaaki, 2004, 103 min. (German subtitles)

Redline
Animation | Dir. KOIKE Takeshi, 2009, 100 min.

JP fought, in spite of a serious accident, to qualify for Redline. Redline is the most dangerous, explosive, most forbidden car race in the whole galaxy. Every five years it takes place on another planet, not announced until shortly before the start of the race. This time, Roboworld has been selected. Roboworld's totalitarian military regime has announced that it will use severe force to prevent the anarchistic spectacle. As the starting flag falls, all rules cease to apply. On the track, it is each to their own; JP is racing against a friend who is no friend, a rival who he is in love with and hundreds of aliens in crazy, futuristic machines.
Takeshi Koike (b. 1968) began his animation career straight after school at Studio Madhouse as an in-between artist on the work of director Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and others). Included among Koike's first directed works is World Record, a short film in the series Animatrix (2003). Redline is Koike's first feature film.

Kaiba
TV-Animation | Dir. YUASA Masaaki, 2008, 12 episodes, 23 min. each

In the world of Kaiba, memories are no longer in danger of being forgotten, but are stored forever in special databases. When a person dies, it doesn't necessarily mean the end – the individual's memory can be easily transferred to a new body. This development poses a risk, however, because the memories are traded as valuable goods and threatened by loss and illegal modifications. In this dystopian scenario, a man wakes up in a messy room with no memory of his previous life. On the run from unknown assailants, he is gradually confronted with his own existence.
Yuasa's trick in this disturbing science fiction is the contrast between the classic character design that would be normally seen in a children's animation from decades ago and dynamic animation style.
Masaaki Yuasa
After graduating from college, Masaaki Yuasa (b. 1965, Fukuoka Prefecture) joined the animation studio Ajia-do. He later became a freelancer and worked on the Shinchan and the Chibi Maruko-chan series, among others. In 2004, he debuted as a film director with Mind Game, which won the Grand Prize in the Animation Division of the 8th Japan Media Arts Festival, the Noburo Ofuji Award of the 59th Mainichi Film Awards, and others. His other major works include the series Kemonozume (Claws of a Beast, 2006) and Kaiba which was awarded the JMAF Excellence Prize in 2008.

Mind Game
Animation | Dir. YUASA Masaaki, 2004, 103 min.

After many years, unsuccessful manga artist Nishi runs into his first love, Myon. The joyful reunion is, however, brought to an abrupt end by two tough yakuza, and Nishi is summarily transported to the afterlife. Once there, he cheats death once more and thus sparks a surreal journey of self-discovery through different levels of time, consciousness and strange places.
Masaaki Yuasa presents with Mind Game a collection of breathtaking images, and with both innovative animation techniques and a riveting narrative influences far beyond any genre boundaries. The story is based on the manga of the same title by Robin Nishi.

 

Venue

RWE Forum | U Cinema

Dortmunder U – Centre for Art and Creativity
Leonie-Reygers-Terrasse
44137 Dortmund

Admission

5 € / 3 €
Valid for one day for the exhibition Japan Media Arts Festival and the film programme.

 

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