"Paprika" at TIFF

Tokyo International Film Festival officially opened, and there are a whole bunch of event and star appearances news.  I am too lazy to go over all of them, so see TIFF website and WOWWOW site for news and pictures.  (TIFF English page does not have too much latest news, tho... )

Among them - Venice's entry "Paprika", directed by Satoshi Kon, was shown as premiere in Japan as the opening film for animecsTIFF x digitalTIFF.  At the opening ceremony, the original novelist Yasutaka Tsutsui appeared on stage along with Kon and the voice actor Toru Furuya.  Tsutsui has been a regular in hoga events this year, as the original writer of "Everyone but Japan Sinks", and animation "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" (I used "Little Girl Who Conquered Time" title, taken from its 1970's live action version, but this seems to be the English title for this version).

Furuya, known for the voice of Amuro in "Gundam" animation, usually does the voice of young boys, but at Paprika, he did the 200kg guy for the first time.  "I have never done the role over 60kg (laughs), so I first thought I should decline this offer.  But the director asked me to speak like a innocent young boy as I usually do, so I went ahead."

Tsutsui boasted, "this novel is supposed to have a healing effect, according to Dr. Hayao Kawai (a famous psychologist).  My friend Tatsuya Egawa (a novelist) told me such a high-quality visuals should make me proud as the original writer."

Kon appologized to the audience, "we were too busy going around the overseas film festival circuits.  We are sorry that we were late in showing it in Japan."

Following the TIFF, "Paprika" is schedule to open commercially on November 25 in Japan.

Source:  Cinema Topic Online, TIFF website