Synopsis
Fuyu no Hi is an animated film from 2003, directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto. It is inspired by a renga bearing the same name, composed by the 17th-century Japanese poet Basho. The production of the film adhered to the traditional collaborative spirit of its source material—the visuals for each of the 36 stanzas were individually crafted by 35 different animators. Alongside numerous Japanese animators, Kawamoto gathered prominent figures in animation from around the globe. Each animator was tasked with creating at least 30 seconds to depict their assigned stanza, and most segments last under a minute (though Yuriy Norshteyn's sequence runs nearly two minutes). The finished film includes a 40-minute animation, followed by a one-hour "Making of" documentary that features interviews with the animators. In 2003, Fuyu no Hi received the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival.
Background
Fuyu no Hi is a 2003 animated film directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto. It is based upon the renga of the same name by the 17th century Japanese poet Basho. The creation of the film followed the traditional collaborative nature of the source material—the visuals for each of the 36 stanzas were independently created by 35 different animators. As well as many Japanese animators, Kawamoto assembled leading names of animation from across the world. Each animator was asked to contribute at least 30 seconds to illustrate their stanza, and most of the sequences are under a minute (Yuriy Norshteyn's, though, is nearly two minutes long). The released film consists of the 40-minute animation, followed by an hour-long "Making of" documentary, including interviews with the animators. Fuyu no Hi won the Grand Prize of the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2003.
