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Documentary The Echo of Astro Boy's Footsteps at Zipangu Fest
posted on by Andrew Osmond
The upcoming Zipangu Festival, which specialises in experimental Japanese cinema, has announced the lineup for its animated strand, entitled Beyond Anime. All the Zipangu screenings will take place between September 14 and 16, at the Cinema Museum in Kennington, near Elephant and Castle tube station (map).
The four Beyond Anime films include an 82-minute documentary, The Echo of Astro Boy's Footsteps, about the "extraordinary double life" of sound designer Matsuo Ohno, who worked on Astro Boy, Lupin the 3rd, and Space Battleship Yamato. This will be shown on Sunday, September 16th.
From the Zipangu press release:
In The Echo Of Astro Boy's Footsteps, director Masanori Tominaga leads an investigation into the extraordinary double life of legendary sound designer Matsuo Ohno. Following his groundbreaking experimental sound work on cult Japanese animations Astro Boy, Lupin the 3rd, and Space Battleship Yamato, Ohno mysteriously disappears from the public eye, retreating into a world of seclusion and personal struggle. Using firsthand accounts from friends and contemporaries to construct a definitive record of Ohno's life, Tominaga's team eventually uncovers the remarkable and deeply moving truth behind Ohno's current whereabouts and habits.
The other Beyond Anime screenings are:
September 14: The Great Rabbit, directed by Atsushi Wada. The story of a group who worship "the profound and mysterious entity known only as the great rabbit." The short film won the Silver Bear (Jury Prize) at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival.
September 16: Midori-ko (2010), directed by Keita Kurosaka, a hand-drawn "phantasmagoria of mesmerising and disturbing imagery" about scientists trying to create the perfect super food.
September 16: Encounters (2011), directed by Takashi Iitsuka, an Adam and Joe style blockbuster spoof involving a super monster. Iitsuka will present a Q&A at the festival.
The full programme of films at the Zipangu festival will be announced at a monster double-bill screening of King Kong vs. Godzilla and Matango, Fungus of Terror on August 22 at London's Prince Charles Cinema in Central London. The festival website is at http://zipangufest.com.
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