London International Animation Festival 2021

BFI Japan 2021: Atsushi Wada - A Jolt to the Subconscious

Expired December 5, 2021 8:00 PM
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Born in 1980, Atsushi Wada started making his self-produced animated films in 2002 after studying at Tokyo University of the Arts. He has now made 15 short films which have screened at numerous festivals worldwide and been awarded several times over, including the ‘Silver Bear’ Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for ‘The Great Rabbit’.


These films, beautifully rendered in fine pencil-line drawings with understated splashes of colour, are more than just animated stories – watching them you can literally feel movement and experience sudden but subtle emotional jolts to the subconscious. Atsushi is very interested in the Japanese traditional concept called “Ma”, the tension produced between movements. These minimalist films, influenced by Noh Theatre, music and dance, shine a light on strange worlds and take a sideways look at human relationships with humans and human relationships with animals using only what is essential – nothing is superfluous.


LIAF is very proud to present a comprehensive retrospective of one of Japan’s most singular, fascinating and independent animators, in partnership with The Japan Foundation.


Find out about our other online BFI Japan 2021 programme: Into the Unknown: The Trippy Worlds of Indie Japanese Animation


Recommended age 15+

Some people have faith in religion. Others believe in the existence of anomalies, such as unknowable and uncontrollable monsters.

  • Year
    2013
  • Runtime
    3 minutes
  • Country
    Japan
  • Filmmaker
    Atsushi Wada