French Film Festival and the Singapore International Film Festival
Narrative
The film follows a singer who dies suddenly while on tour in Japan, but her spirit lives on as she embarks on a journey to find humanity in the afterlife. The Singapore premiere, which also marks the film’s Southeast Asian premiere, is being screened jointly at the 40th vOilah!
Spirit World is a multi-layered film that revolves around two very human impulses
The first, the creative instinct that drives artists, and the second, the emotional need for family bonds. Right from the start of the film, we are introduced to three characters who have lost touch with both of these defining impulses.
It is, of course, a very idealized perspective on that universal question – what happens after we die?
Singer-songwriter Claire (Deneuve), Yuzo (Sakai) – a former songwriter, now a piano tuner – and her estranged son Hayato (Takenouchi), an anime director whose acclaimed work is now seemingly behind him. it requires decisions and actions made in death and the afterlife to find a solution to the unresolved problems of life.
Spirit World answers this question in a very realistic and matter-of-fact way
Casting aside the fear of the unknown and choosing to help the living, a selfless endeavor that for our protagonists leads to the fulfillment of their own modest wishes. This is the life-affirming message of Spirit World: that the creative impulse can bear fruit in improving family ties when pursued with selfless intent.
A sweet and heartfelt cinematic experience for anyone who has felt the pull of creativity and the love of family
The pleasing performances are captivating, the beautiful landscapes of Takasaki and Chiba (and the seascapes) provide pure eye candy, and a tribute to the musical artists of the 60s and 70s, a golden age of creativity that may never be seen again.