Renowned Japanese writer Haruki Murakami expressed happiness that American director Pierre Földes had turned some of his short stories into an animated feature called "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman." It is the first animated version of a Murakami story. It includes six of his stories, including two from the "After the Quake" collection inspired by the Kobe earthquake in 1995.
Set in Tokyo after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima disaster, the film revolves around three main characters: Katagiri, a lonely banker who partners with a giant talking frog to avert a second quake; his disinterested colleague; and his wife Kyoko, who, overwhelmed by depression and news coverage of earthquakes, leaves him. Through recollections and dreams, the characters find solace and renewal.
Though not typically a fan of animated films, Murakami watched "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" twice and praised Földes for capturing the essence of the intelligent green Frog exactly as he envisioned. He desired adaptations that enriched his original work rather than merely replicating it.
Földes, discussing his approach, aimed to honor his interpretation of Murakami's stories while integrating them into a cohesive narrative. He described the process as organically combining different elements, likening them to growing crops. Murakami appreciated this approach, citing it as successful in achieving his and the filmmaker's artistic intentions.
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According to ArtReview, Földes took a creative and unconventional approach to adapting Haruki Murakami's stories in "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman." Rather than adhering strictly to traditional storytelling methods, Földes injected playfulness into his interpretation.
Through Földes's experimental animation techniques, Murakami's thematic tension between reality and imagination, the physical and the metaphysical, was powerfully brought to life. These methods used real actors as reference points for live-action filming, but their heads were replaced with 3D models of the characters, preserving their emotions and facial expressions.
The use of black and white outlines enhanced spatial orientation, with a white outline imparting a ghostly quality to objects and characters that invites viewers to focus less on them. This line-drawing animation style effectively conveys surreal and dreamlike sequences throughout the film, blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion. In embracing and exploring these interstices, "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" thrives in liminality, capturing the essence of Murakami's narrative complexities in a visually striking manner.
Murakami's works inspired acclaimed films, demonstrating the adaptability and depth of his storytelling. Murakami noted that adapting short stories allows filmmakers often to creatively expand upon the source material, contrasting with the challenges of condensing full-length novels into feature films.
"Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" received significant recognition, including a Best Animated Film nomination at the 2024 Lumieres Awards. It also won a Jury Distinction award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2022 and the first Grand Prix award at the 1st Niigata International Animation Film Festival in March 2023, underscoring Murakami's impact on literature and cinema.
Looking ahead, Murakami suggested that his investigative work "Underground," focusing on the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, could be a compelling film adaptation.
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