“a layered narrative that wavers between past and present, realism and magical realism, straight family drama and poetic allegory.“
— The Hollywood Reporter
Inspired by his family stories and multiple images and events that struck him as a storyteller, the writer/director Anshul Chauhan started developing the story of KONTORA in the fall of 2018. One month later, he took 10 days off from his job in the animation industry and completed a 9-day production, along with the cast and crew who also used up their paid holiday, in a small village in Gifu. Originally intended as a piece to dedicate to his grandmother facing health challenges (who recovered after the film was done and is now living a healthy life at 101 years old), it is a highly personal film which, to the director’s surprise, stated winning awards in many festivals around the world, completely changing the film’s trajectory.
One critic calls it “elegant and mystical spin on the coming-of-age narrative” (The Reel Bits), and another calls it “a poetic meditation on the human cost of war” (The Japan Times). It’s hard not to be captivated by this magical tale of deep humanity with an unmatched aesthetic sensibility. It truly is a cinematic experience.
