LIAF 2021 presents a retrospective of the self-produced short films of Atsushi Wada
BFI Japan 2021 presents Atsushi Wada: A Jolt to the Subconscious
[ID: Pale greenish blue poster with text laid over fragments of fine-drawn colour pencil drawings.]
Doors: 7:45pm (Event starts promptly at 8pm)
Tickets: £8.00 General Admission; £6.00 concessions
This screening is the first of a double bill of Japanese animation film screenings. The second programme will follow at 9.30pm. Tickets for both are available as a bundle, for a reduced price of £15 (£11 concessions), via the link below.
This is the first of two Japanese animation screenings taking place at The Horse Hospital on this evening. The second part, The Trippy Worlds of Indie Japanese Animation, screens afterwards at 9.30pm. Full details at www.liaf.org.uk
You can buy tickets for both programmes at a reduced price of £15.00 (£11 concessions).
The London International Animation Festival - the UK’s largest and longest-running animation festival - is back with 10 days of amazing screenings, talks and visits from local and international animators with our first fully hybrid edition. We are especially excited to return to the Horse Hospital for the first time since 2019 with 3 nights of talks and screenings from several of the world’s best animators.
Born in 1980, Atsushi Wada started making his self-produced animated films in 2002. He has now made 15 short films which have screened at numerous festivals worldwide and been awarded several times over, including the ‘Silver Bear’ Award at the Berlin International Film Festival for ‘The Great Rabbit’.
These films, beautifully rendered in fine pencil-line drawings with understated splashes of colour, are more than just animated stories - watching them you can feel movement and experience sudden but subtle emotional jolts to the subconscious. Atsushi is very interested in the Japanese traditional concept called “Ma”, the tension produced between movements. These minimalist films, influenced by Noh Theatre, music and dance, shine a light on strange worlds and take a sideways look at human relationships with humans and human relationships with animals using only what is essential - nothing is superfluous.
LIAF is very proud to present a comprehensive retrospective of one of Japan’s most singular, fascinating and independent animators.
Atsushi Wada, ‘Dancer of Vermicular’, film still, courtesy of the artist
[ID: Fine coloured pencil drawing. A worm-like creature with antennae is crouched against a pale blue watery background.
Dancer of Vermicular (2004), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 6 mins
Based on a poem by Kenji Miyazawa. A worm in this river looks shiny to me.
The Thing of Rotation of Child (2004), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 3 mins
For whom does the girl keep rotating? A story of a weird relationship between a child and adults.
A Clerk in Charge (2004), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 6 mins
A clerk does his own work. This is what a clerk should do.
Day of Nose (2005), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 9 mins
Nucnuc means pleasant in English. We cannot be without Nucnuc for long - if we are, we become unpleasant.
Gentle Whistle, Bird, and Stone (2005), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 3 mins - A lot of mistakes may happen, but no problem. A whistle, a bird, a stone, a human, they are gentle.
A Manipulated Man (2006), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 4 mins
If there is a fixed number of words that a person speaks within his/her lifetime, and if that number is controlled from somewhere by someone, then it would probably be like the story in this film.
Well, That’s Glasses (2007), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 6 mins
How was this made? Why? For what purpose and using what materials? What is this anyway? There are lots of things we need to find out about.
In A Pig’s Eye (2010), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 10 mins
A huge pig lies near a house. The family of the house go about their everyday life, pretending to ignore the pig’s existence.
The Mechanism of Spring (2010), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 4 mins
Everybody is excited to see the arrival of spring. This film tries to depict the excitement spring brings.
The Great Rabbit (2012), dir. Atsushi Wada
7 mins, Japan/France, 7 mins
If you believe in the Rabbit, it means that you’ll believe anything. If you don’t believe in the Rabbit, it means that you won’t believe anything. Your choice.
Anomalies (2013), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan/UK, 3 mins
Some people have faith in religion. Others believe in the existence of anomalies, such as unknowable and uncontrollable monsters.
My Marsh (2017), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 3 mins
The activities of cats, kobito, carp, and an uncle dressed as a woman on a swamp.
Autumn from Antonio Vivaldi "The Four Seasons" (2017), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 11 mins
Dear Mr. Vivaldi, I apologise for setting your music to animation without your permission. But I wanted to depict "autumn" in my own way with various animals. Thank you for understanding. Yours sincerely, AW.
My Exercise (2020), dir. Atsushi Wada
Japan, 2 mins
Let’s do sit-ups.