EXCLUSIVE: Japan’s Gaga Corporation has secured worldwide sales rights to upcoming animated feature Jinsei and will launch the title at the Cannes market.
Jinsei (meaning “life” in Japanese) marks the feature directorial debut of Ryuya Suzuki, who animated the entire film himself over 18 months. It is set to open theatrically in Japan on May 16 before playing at Annecy in its competitive Contrechamp section.
Animated without a script, the film centres on a young man – voiced by rapper Ace Cool – who is raised by his father-in-law in rural Japan after his mother is killed by an elderly driver. Told in 10 chapters, the darkly comic film traces the man’s life as he goes from rags to riches and back again over the course of a century, all while touching on issues facing Japanese society such as an aging population, the effects of the pandemic, harassment and discrimination.
The cast also includes Ayumu Nakajima, known for Neo Sora’s Happyend, and Shohei Uno, who appeared in last year’s hit thriller Last Mile.
The film is produced by Kenji Iwaisawa, the writer/director behind 2019’s On-Gaku: Our Sound, which won best animated feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Iwaisawa’s upcoming film 100 Meters will be featured in Annecy’s Annecy Presents section.
Director Suzuki began his career as an independent animator during the Covid-19 pandemic and his shorts Mahoroba (2021) and Lawless Love (2022) received multiple awards in Japan, including the special jury prize at Pia Film Festival.
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