Documentary
Cinephile

Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist

夢みる人 今敏

Directed by: Pascal-Alex Vincent
2021 / 81 minutes / Unclassified all ages

Official website

Behind the genius that blurred reality and fiction

Ten years after his untimely passing, this moving documentary honours the life and work of Satoshi Kon (1963–2010). The highly revered animator and director leaves behind an impressive body of work, and his legacy remains a major cultural influence on the animation world today. Fans of Kon will know him for his unmatched ability to adapt complex sci-fi stories into brilliant works, from the jarring thriller Perfect Blue (1997) to the reality-bending Paprika (2006). Venerated by his peers, Kon is remembered as an innovator and provocateur, whose demands for perfection and high-concept storytelling resulted in works that were ahead of their time. Having left this world too soon, his last film Dreaming Machine remains unfinished, and instead we are gifted with precious morsels of his work.

Featuring interviews from Kon’s equally acclaimed contemporaries Mamoru Oshii, Darren Aronofksy, Mamoru Hosoda, and more, this outstanding documentary is a fitting tribute to Kon and his exceptional work, and will leave you wanting to rediscover his entire catalogue frame by frame.

Sunday 21st November
19:00
Concluded

Palace Barracks, Brisbane

Thursday 25th November
18:00
Concluded

The Kino, Melbourne

Saturday 27th November
16:00
Concluded

Palace Verona, Sydney

Screens in: Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney

Director: Pascal-Alex Vincent

Starring: Darren Aronofsky, Marc Caro, Mamoru Hosoda and Mamoru Oshii

Genre: Documentary

Category: Cinephile

Language(s): English and Japanese with English subtitles