Adapted from Furukawa Hideo’s modern interpretation of The Tale of the Heike, Inu-Oh is a dramatisation of the life of the titular character, Japan’s most famous unheard-of musician. Born misshapen and grotesque, Inu-Oh is shunned by society and family alike until he becomes friends with Tomoya, a blind biwa musician. Mutually encouraged by the other’s passion for performance, the pair stage spectacular shows recounting the forgotten stories of the heike, defeated enemies of the ruling family. Their popularity soon incurs the wrath of jealous performing troupes and censorship officials. Join director Masaaki Yuasa and moderator Tan Wei Keong as they discuss his process of adapting the novel into an animated film, as well as his directing style and the influence music has on his work.
Inu-Oh was presented as part of the 32nd Singapore International Film Festival Foreground section. Foreground is a new section that presents some of the cinematic highlights of the year, including award winners, festival favourites and critically acclaimed new works from established auteurs. This year’s international palette includes 14 exciting feature films—some offer refreshing elements within popular genre conventions, while others unveil celebrated visions.
