The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto
Films from Japan
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1h 38m
Directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto • Animation • 2014 • 99 minutes
Kimstim is proud to present this collection of short films from one of the world's greatest stop-motion animators: Kihachiro Kawamoto. Famous for his beautiful, expressive puppets, Kawamoto began his career in the 1950s. Honing his skills at the legendary Kratky Studios in Prague (under the mentorship of celebrated Czech animator Jiri Trnka), Kawamoto harnessed Japan's unique aesthetic traditions to create visually stunning stories. Drawing on ancient legends, contemporary short novels, as well as Noh, Kabuki, and Bunraku doll theater, Kawamoto's haunting, poetic films speak of passion and loss in worlds populated by ghosts and demons.
"Kawamoto has been quietly and persistently making puppet animations for over half a century now... as an independent director and producer, he has amassed a body of short films that demonstrates a keen artistic vision."- Dean Bowman, MIDNIGHTEYE.COM
Up Next in Films from Japan
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The Book of the Dead
Directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto • Animation • 2014 • 70 minutes
Master animator Kihachiro Kawamoto's tour de force adventure tale of a young noble girl in 8th-century Japan who leaves her home to follow the apparition of an executed prince in this ravishing film of beauty and mysticism.
As Buddh...
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Tatsumi
Directed by Eric Khoo • Animation • With Tetsuya Bessho, Yoshihiro Tatsumi • 2011 • 98 minutes
TATSUMI celebrates the life and work of Japanese comics artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi-a manga pioneer who elevated the genre to a new level of creative expression and adult realism. A comics-crazed teenager...
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The Birth of Sake
Directed by Erik Shirai • Documentary • 2015 • 93 minutes
A beautiful and immersive portrait of life at the 144-year old Yoshida Brewery, a producer of world class sake. With changing times ahead and new regime led by the 6th generation heir, this is a rarified look at the personal and professio...
