Ranging from 2 to 21 minutes in length, the 15 extraordinary short films (made between 1987-2007) collected here from Koji Yamamura—regarded as one of the most important independent animators working today—showcase an astonishingly diverse array of drawing, painting, photography, and claymation techniques. The best known offering is the 2003 Oscar nominee Mt. Head, the tale of a man who is so stingy and frugal that he eats the pits along with the cherries he consumes, which results in a cherry tree growing on top of his head. In a surreal bit of dark whimsy, his fecund pate becomes a gathering place for revelers after the blossoms appear, until the man takes decisive action with even worse consequences. The other works—mostly intended for adults, but also some for children—are similarly imaginative, including the most recent, the titular adaptation of Franz Kafka's short story. Filled with striking, phantasmagoric images, this short captures, with uncanny skill, the unsettling mood of Kafka's tale in which a doctor's attempt to care for a young patient unleashes a series of nightmarish experiences. Japan has long been at the forefront of animation that stretches the boundaries of the medium, and Yamamura is one of the nation's true masters. DVD extras include an introductory essay. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor & Other Fantastic Films by Koji Yamamura
(2010) 124 min. In Japanese w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.95. Zeitgeist Films (avail. from most distributors). Volume 26, Issue 2
Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor & Other Fantastic Films by Koji Yamamura
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