‘Black Ox,’ 70mm Epic Premiering in Tokyo, Picked up by Asian Shadows (EXCLUSIVE)
“Black Ox,” a powerful rural drama from Japan’s Tsuta Tetsuichiro, has been picked up for world sales by Hong Kong and Beijing-based agency Asian Shadows. The film has its world premiere on Friday in the Asian Future section of the Tokyo International Film Festival and will go on commercial release in Taiwan the following week.
Set in the 19th century, “Black Ox” follows the life of a man, transitioning from a hunter-gatherer existence in the mountains to a life in the farm. One day, he comes across an ox, which somehow, he succeeds in leading back to his home. He lives with the animal, which becomes his companion in a life of changing seasons.
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The Japan-set film is inspired by the “Ten Ox-Herding Pictures” a series of short poems and illustrations from the Zen Buddhist tradition that depict the path to enlightenment and spiritual awakening.
The cast includes the Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng (“Stranger Eyes” and a string of Tsai Ming-liang films including “Rebels of the Neon God,” “Vive L’Amour,” “The Hole,” “I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone,” “Days”), the Japanese actor Tanaka Min (“The Twilight Samurai,” “47 Ronin,” “Perfect Days”) and the dancer – choreographer, creator of Moving Earth dance company, Kei Takei.
Music for the film was created by the late Sakamoto Ryuichi.
The film is structured as a three-way Japan, Taiwan and U.S. coproduction involving Niko Niko Film (Japan), Moolin Films (Taiwan), Cinema Inutile (U.S.-Japan), Cineric Creative (U.S.-Japan) and Fourier Films (Japan).
“Black Ox’s” Taiwan release is through Light Year Images. It will be distributed in Japan by Alfazbet.
Previously known as “Black Cattle”, it was a recipient of TAICCA’s International Co-funding Program and participated in project funding markets including the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion, Busan’s Asian Project Market and the Kyoto Film Pitching event.
Shot in Shikoku, in southwestern Japan, where the director was born, “Black Ox” is Tsuta’s second film of a feature trilogy. His debut film, “The Tale of Iya” premiered in the Tokyo festival and received a special mention. That was followed by the Aurora Prize at Troms? International Film Festival, the best film award at the Pan Asia Film Festival and the jury prize at Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Set in Iya, Tokushima, said to be the last uncharted part of Japan, “The Tale of Iya” depicts the preciousness of living rooted in the earth, through the interaction between young people from the city and the people who live in the remote wilderness. Shot on 35mm color film, the film captures the beauty of four seasons of Japan.
With “Black Ox,” Tsuta embarks on even more ambitious work. It is the first narrative feature in Japanese film history to be shot on 70mm film stock.
Asian Shadows has handled numerous ambitious works from the region including six films by Wang Bing – “Man in Black”; “Three Sisters” (named best film of the Orrizonti section at Venice in 2012); “Alone,” which played at the 2013 Rotterdam festival; “Til Madness Do Us Part” (out of competition at Venice in 2013; “Ta’ang” (Berlinale Forum 2016); and “Mrs Fang” (winner of the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2017) – as well as Rima Das’ Toronto and San Sebastian title “Village Rockstars,” “Coming Home Again” by Wayne Wang and “Zero” by Soda Kazuhiro.
Watch a teaser here.
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