Isao Takahata’s (My Neighbors the Yamadas) animated film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, premiered in Japan last year. It’s since played at the Cannes and Sydney Film Festivals, and is set for a North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and a limited U.S. premier October 17, this year. To compliment the upcoming premiers, a new stylish North American trailer has been released.The Tale of Princess Kaguya is based on a popular Japanese folktale.
Okina (voiced by Takeo Chii) is a bamboo cutter in ancient rural Japan. One day in the forest, he finds a tiny baby in the folds of a bamboo shoot. He brings the creature home to his wife Ounaa (Nobuko Miyamoto) and they decide to keep her and raise her as a princess. She is clearly not of this world. Kaguya (Aki Asakura) grows at an unnatural rate, soon maturing into an uncommonly beautiful young woman. Since Okina has now also found a cache of gold and treasure in the forest, every suitor wants Kaguya. But this is not a fairytale of courtship and marriage.
So far, the critical reception for the film, has been pretty darn positive.
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