| Director: | Takashi Miike |
|---|---|
| Production: | K2 Pictures (Muneyuki Kii), 3Top (Denjiro Tanaka), OLM (Misako Saka), PlanD (Yoshikatsu Date) |
| Running Time: | 97’ |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Country: | Japan |
| Main Cast: | Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII, Ichikawa Shinnosuke VIII, Anne (narrator) |
| Cinematographer: | Takashi Noguchi, Douglas Ideguchi |
| Editor: | Yohei Shina, Naoichiro Sagara |
| Music: | Koji Endo |
| Sound: | Shintaro Yamaguchi |
| Visual Effects: | Takashi Tadokoro |
Cinema
Shumei: The living legacy of Kabuki
Venice Open – Out of Competition
Synopsis
Shumei – The Living Legacy of Kabuki follows the 2022 succession ceremony of Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII Hakuen. In his first documentary feature, director Takashi Miike offers an intimate portrait of Danjūrō and his son, Shinnosuke, capturing both the grandeur of the Shūmei ceremonies and the personal responsibilities, pressures and sacrifices involved in carrying forward one of Japan’s oldest performing traditions.
Director’s Statement
Who exactly is Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII? That is the simple question I wanted to ask once again. I wanted to uncover the mystery behind the overwhelming beauty he radiates.
In Reiwa (the current era name used in Japan’s traditional calendar system), I set out to document the struggles and solitude of a man who stands in what feels like a lukewarm quagmire, yet never falters: relentlessly refining the art of Kabuki with uncompromising discipline toward both himself and those around him, while carrying the immense responsibility of nurturing the next Danjuro as he continues to appear on stage.
I invite you to experience on screen the piercing gaze of a demonic intensity that strikes through the soul of those who wish to be freed from shallow words such as “moving”. Danjūrō’s Kabuki is not merely Kabuki. It is an attempt to approach the true essence of entertainment itself. This is a documentary film that captures exactly that.
PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION
PRODUCTION 1:
K2 Pictures - Muneyuki Kii
4th Floor, No. 35 Kowa Building, 1-14-14 Akasaka
107-0052 Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3-4400-3855
E-mail: mun_kii@k2pic.com
Web: http://k2pic.com
PRODUCTION 2:
3Top - Denjiro Tanaka
8F, Ebisu Daisan Building, 2-7-10 Ebisu-Nishi
150-0021 Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3-5447-6077
E-mail: denjiro@d-t.jp
Web: http://3top.jp
PRODUCTION 3:
OLM - Misako Saka
Keihan Setagaya Blag, 1-18-10 Wakabayashi
1540023 Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3-5433-5588
E-mail: sakamisako@gmail.com
Web: http://www.olm.co.jp/
PRODUCTION 4:
PlanD - Yoshikatsu Date
1F, Parkside Yamamotokan, 1-16-4 Tomigaya
151-0063 Shibuya-ku,Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3-6407-1913
E-mail: y.date@pland-labo.co.jp
Web: http://pland-labo.co.jp/
PRESS OFFICE:
DDA
E-mail: Shumei@ddaglobal.com
