Extras
Kihachirō Kawamoto: The Book of the Dead
Renowned puppet animator Kihachirō Kawamoto was born in Tokyo in 1925. To mark his 100th birthday, we are bringing back to the big screen his magnum opus: “The Book of the Dead”. In mesmerising images, this Buddhist fable tells a story of love and forgiveness in Japan during the Nara period.
Japan in the 8th century: Iratsume, the daughter of a nobleman, leads a secluded life in the former capital of Nara. Isolated from the outside world, she translates and copies important Buddhist texts. One day a divine vision leads her to go to a temple at the foot of the sacred Mount Futakami, where she learns of the fate of the executed prince Ōtsu, whose soul mourns for a woman and therefore cannot leave the earthly world. Driven by compassion and love, Iratsume resolves to help the deceased find the path to the afterlife.
In 2025, Japanese director, puppet designer and animator Kihachirō Kawamoto would have been 100 years old. After learning his craft from legendary Czech animator Jiří Trnka, he began making his own short films in the late 1960s. He was honoured with numerous international awards for his outstanding work: the Médaille de la Ville de Paris, the Winsor McCay Award and the Order of the Rising Sun, among others. To mark his milestone birthday, we are showing Kawamoto’s only animated feature film: the Buddhist-inspired ghost story “The Book of the Dead”. Understated and beautifully crafted, the film celebrates the healing power of love. (Mischa Haberthür)
Japan in the 8th century: Iratsume, the daughter of a nobleman, leads a secluded life in the former capital of Nara. Isolated from the outside world, she translates and copies important Buddhist texts. One day a divine vision leads her to go to a temple at the foot of the sacred Mount Futakami, where she learns of the fate of the executed prince Ōtsu, whose soul mourns for a woman and therefore cannot leave the earthly world. Driven by compassion and love, Iratsume resolves to help the deceased find the path to the afterlife.
In 2025, Japanese director, puppet designer and animator Kihachirō Kawamoto would have been 100 years old. After learning his craft from legendary Czech animator Jiří Trnka, he began making his own short films in the late 1960s. He was honoured with numerous international awards for his outstanding work: the Médaille de la Ville de Paris, the Winsor McCay Award and the Order of the Rising Sun, among others. To mark his milestone birthday, we are showing Kawamoto’s only animated feature film: the Buddhist-inspired ghost story “The Book of the Dead”. Understated and beautifully crafted, the film celebrates the healing power of love. (Mischa Haberthür)
Info
Duration 70'
Country JP, 2005
Appointments & Tickets
* With an introduction by
Dr. Daniela Tan (Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin Japanologie, Asien-Orient-Institut, Universität Zürich) & Jonathan Wüst (Animator)
Presenting Partner
Supported by
Curated by
Mischa Haberthür