Release Date

February, 11th, 2006

Running Time

70 min

Genre

Animation

Color

Color

Screening Format

35mm

Screen Size

-

Sound Processing

-

[ Directed by ]

• KAWAMOTO Kihachiro

[ Produced by ]

• MURAYAMA Hideyo
• FUKUMA Junko

[ Cast ]

• MIYAZAWA Rie ── Iratsume
• KANZE Tetsunojo ── Otsu no Miko
• ENOKI Takaaki ── Otomo no Yakamochi

[ Staff ]

• KAWAMOTO Kihachiro ── Screenplay
• ORIKUCHI Shinobu ── Original Story
• TAMURA Minoru ── Director of Photography
• ITO Nobuyuki ── Editing
• HIROSE Ryohei ── Music
• OIKAWA Koichi ── Animation
• MORI Masaaki ── Animation
• KAWAMOTO Kihachiro ── Animation
• KUDO Mizuki ── Production Design

[ Production Company ]

Sakura Motion Picture

[ Story ]

Puppet animation by Kawamoto Kihachiro, whose works include Ningyogeki Sangokushi (NHK), Fuyunohi, Archer without a Bow (China), and Ibarahime matawa Nemurihime (Czech Republic).
Set in the Nara Period (710 〜 784), Iratsume, a princess of the noble family of Fujiwara Nanke, is busy hand-copying Buddhist scriptures for a thousand times. On the day of the Spring Equinox, Iratsume sees Omokagebito (incarnation of bodhisattva) sublimely emerge above Futakamiyama Mountain. Upon completion of copying the scriptures, Iratsume wanders out of her residence as if possessed, and walks to the foot of the mountain. There, she meets the soul of Otsu no Miko (a son of Emperor Tenmu), which has been wandering this world since his execution as a youth. In order to clothe his bare skin, Iratsume starts weaving the lotus fiber, which is believed to connect this world to paradise. Iratsume's dedication gradually calms Otsu no Miko's wandering soul.
Iratsume is voiced by Miyazawa Rie. The film won the 17th Zagreb International Animation Festival, Special Recognition, and the 2006 China International Animation & Digital Arts Festival, Grand Prix.

[ Film Festivals, Awards ]

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2005
Pusan International Film Festival 2005
Animafest Zagreb 2005
Raindance Film Festival 2006
Austin IFF 2006
Anifest Hungary 2006
Cinemanila 2006
Stuttgart Animated Fest 2006
Brussel Anima Fest 2006
Hong Kong IFF 2006
Singapore IFF 2006
SICAF Seoul 2006
Anima Mundi 2006
Brisbane IFF 2006
Ottawa International Animation Festival 2006
Hiroshima International Animation Festival 2006
China International Animation & Digital Arts Festival 2006
Animadrid 2006
Sitges Fest 2006
Animacore 2006
Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema 2006
Nippon Connection 2006
Titanic Budapest 2006
Animafest Zagreb 2005 - SPECIAL RECOGNITION
China International Animation and Digital Arts Festival 2006 (CICDAF 2006) GRAND PRIX CICDAF 2006 - BEST FEATURE FILM
Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia 2006 - SPECIAL MENTION
Japan Media Arts Festival 2005 - Excellence Prize, Animation Category
2005 Kine Junpo Top Ten Cultural Films - 3rd Place

[ Contact (International) ]

For further contact details, please contact UNIJAPAN -> [ Contact ]