Anime Legend Doc ‘Satoshi Kon, the Illusionist’ Making World Premiere at Cannes

Multigenre filmmaker Pascal-Alex Vincent’s passionate tribute to one of the great maestros of animation, Satoshi Kon, the Illusionist, will officially make its world premiere as part of the official Cannes Classics selections — the illustrious festival’s annual celebration of restored prints and cinema history.

Ten years after the death of manga-ka and animation director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress, Perfect Blue), his loved ones and collaborators put their memories, anecdotes and insights on record in this long awaited documentary. Vincent (Give Me Your Hand, Miwa: Looking for Black Lizard) sought out Kon’s contemporaries and the next-gen filmmakers he inspired across Japan, France, the U.K. and U.S. to reflect on his subject’s artistic legacy. Interviewees include directors Mamoru Hosoda, Darren Aronofsky, Jérémy Clapin, Mamoru Oshii, and many more.

Festival de Cannes 2021 will be held July 6-17 (festival-cannes.com/en). See the full Cannes Classics program here.