French Film Festival and the Singapore International Film Festival
Synopsis
It follows a singer who unexpectedly dies while on tour in Japan, but her spirit lives on and she embarks on a journey to find humanity in the afterlife. The Singapore premiere, which is also the Southeast Asian premiere, is set to be screened at the 40th edition of vOilah!
Spirit World is a multi-layered film that is essentially about two very human impulses
The first, the creative instinct that drives artists, and the second, the emotional need for family ties. The film begins with three characters who have lost touch with both of these defining impulses.
Of course, that’s a very idealized perspective on this universal question – what happens after we die?
Singer-songwriter Claire (Deneuve), Yuzo (Sakai) – a former composer, now a piano tuner – and her estranged son Hayato (Takenouchi), an anime director whose most acclaimed work is now apparently behind him. For these three characters, decisions and actions made in death and the afterlife are needed to find solutions to life’s unresolved problems.
The Spirit World answers this question in a very realistic and practical way
Setting aside the fear of the unknown and helping the living, a selfless pursuit that for our protagonists leads to the fulfillment of their own humble desires. This is the life-affirming message of Spirit World: that creative impulses can bear fruit in improving family ties when used with selfless intent.
Technically, Spirit World ticks all the boxes for audience engagement
The engaging performances draw you in, the beautiful landscapes (and seascapes) of Takasaki and Chiba provide pure eye candy, and the homage to musical artists of the 60s and 70s, a golden age of creativity that you may never see again. A sweet and sincere cinematic experience for all those who have felt the pull of creativity and the love of family.