Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme: Miss Hokusai

百日紅 (Sarusuberi)

Set in early 19th century Japan during the Edo period, this animation brings to life the story of O-Ei, the daughter of the ukiyo-e master, Katsushika Hokusai (globally famous for his piece The Great Wave). O-Ei is no doubt an inheritor of both her father’s stubbornness and his talent, and her art is so powerful that it leads her into trouble.

This new animation from director Keiichi Hara (Colorful) is a tale of a free-spirited woman overshadowed by her larger-than-life father. Based on the original manga Sarusuberi by Hinako Sugiura, an adaptation which Hara, a huge fan of the series, called ‘a dream come true,’ the film brings Sugiura’s comic and worldview to the big screen, creating a wonderfully detailed recreation of Edo life through combining hand-drawn 2D with 3D techniques. The film scooped three awards at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, including the Satoshi Kon Award for best animated feature film.

Miss Hokusai, dir. Keiichi Hara, Japan 2015, 90 mins, Japanese with English subtitles

Special ticket offer: four tickets for the price of three!

The ICA Cinema is now completely ad-free. Please note that there will be no trailers shown before this feature. This film is rated 12a.