Ghost Cat Anzu

Eleven-year-old Karin lost her mother three years ago. Since then, her father has been struggling with overwhelming money problems. When he takes Karin to live with her grandfather in a Buddhist temple so that he can deal with his debts, she is certain that she has been left behind for good. She succumbs to her fate, albeit resigned and annoyed. What’s more, she can’t seem to make friends with the wild-peeing and farting ghost cat Anzu, who is supposed to look after her – until the two of them are suddenly dependent on each other. 

For their manga feature, well-known Japanese live-action film director Nobuhiro Yamashita joined forces with anime rising star Yôko Kuno (in her feature-film debut). Combining classic 2D animation and rotoscope techniques – set on painterly backgrounds – makes for a spirited, fresh look that works well in this film with its moped-riding cat and all the other fantabulous characters. 

“Ghost Cat Anzu” is a wildly cheerful adventure with two imperfect and therefore all the more charismatic main characters. This coproduction between Shin-Ei Animation from Japan and Miyu Productions from France masters perfectly the balancing act between Saturday morning cartoon flair and serious themes. Nominated at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (Best Feature Film) and in Cannes (SACD Award). (Olivier Samter)