By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
“Are anime fans born or made?” a famous anime distributor once wondered years ago. Judging by two of the curators of the Ani-Marathon, running through April 30, childhood experiences prove key.
“The first anime film I saw was ‘Princess Mononoke’ at a friend’s house,” remembered Tony Ochoa, a curator on the Ani-Marathon. “I was blown away by the style and themes of the film. My first [anime series] was at that same friend’s house watching ‘Dragon Ball Z’ and ‘Yu Yu Hakusho.’”
Another curator, Rhys Iliakis, spoke of something close to his heart on his first exposure to the genre. “My very first anime film, which is also my favorite film to this day, is ‘Spirited Away’ from Studio Ghibli. My friend showed it to me on a road trip and I had never seen anything like it before. My first TV show was the original ‘Pokémon’ series, and I still play the video games to this day.”
“Mononoke” and “Spirited Away” both come from the famous anime director, Hayao Miyazaki, and his Studio Ghibli, the most famous anime director and studio to American audiences. But oddly enough, nothing from Miyazaki or Ghibli figures in the current festival.
Iliakis cites a few reasons for these omissions. “Films from Studio Ghibli are often shown in their own block together, Ghibli Fest for instance, and it’s hard just to choose one or two films to pick. Two years ago, we put on a series of Studio Ghibli films at SIFF Cinema Downtown, and there is a possibility that we could do that again in the future. Also, we wanted to highlight films that don’t often get theatrical runs like Ghibli films do, and there were only a handful of slots to fill.”
Three of the features in the lineup come from the late Satoshi Kon, an amazing director who died from cancer at 46. “Satoshi Kon is one of my favorite anime directors, and I think a fan favorite as well,” said Ochoa. “There is a very beautiful engagement with surrealism and memory in his films that also scratches at the horrific. The interplay between fiction and reality is something that connects all of his films.”
“I think they all engage with this in slightly different ways. ‘Paprika’ is more of a thriller narrative that interacts with the art form through dreams and the bending logic within. ‘Perfect Blue’ engages with paranoia and delusions through its perception of performance, fame, identity, and how fans engage in voyeuristic fantasy with these themes. ‘Millennium Actress’ utilizes memory, history, and blends it with reality, to give a collage of the life of an aging actress.”
Ani-Marathon: ChaO
Asked for personal favorites in the new lineup, Iliakis answered, “I’m personally excited for ‘CHaO’ and ‘Wolf Children.’ ‘CHaO’ is a brand new film from Studio 4C about a world where humans and merfolk (mermaids and mermen) tenuously live alongside one another until the princess of the merfolk decides to marry a random human she rescues from drowning. I was lucky enough to see this at a film festival last fall and it was a visual delight with a very unique animation style. ‘Wolf Children’ is a gorgeous slide-of-life anime that brims with emotion and nostalgia. I can’t wait to see its beautiful visuals on the biggest screen I can.”
Ani-Marathon: The End of Evangelion
Ochoa listed his favorites as “‘End of Evangelion,’ because [‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’] is one of my favorite series, and although I do love the originally-aired experimental ending, this one ties up the series in a very satisfying way. ‘Paprika’ because it is a better version of Inception without the grayscale and was one of the first I was able to see at the old Cinerama. ‘Ghost in the Shell’ because it is a classic that also deals with reality in consciousness and introduced me to cyberpunk aesthetics and art.”
And as for what viewers will hopefully get out of the series, Iliakis summed up, “I personally hope anime fans will be able to experience their favorite films or discover new ones in a theatrical setting with their friends. I would also love it if audience members who aren’t as familiar with anime use this series as a primer to help them get into the medium and maybe explore more!”
The Ani-Marathon plays April 17-30 at the SIFF Cinema Downtown (formerly the Cinerama), at 2100 4th Avenue in Seattle’s Belltown.
For prices, showtimes, and other information, visit https://www.siff.net/programs-and-events/ani-marathon.
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