Presented by Japan Foundation
Brush of the God (Kaminofude)
Directed by Keizo Murase
Official selection
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024
Director
Keizo Murase
Writer
Takeshi Nakazawa
Cast
Rio Suzuki, Takeru Narahara, Yumiko Shaku, Takumi Saitoh, Shiro Sano
contact
Kaminofude Film Partners
Official website
Lonely teenager Akari is feeling rather ambivalent at the memorial for her late grandfather, whose work as a modelmaker for monster movies means a lot less to her than it does to his surviving colleagues, and to Akari’s nerdy classmate Takuya. A mysterious person appears at the event, and presents the two kids with a simple prop from an unfinished film. It’s a handmade ink brush, and the stranger explains that it’s the key to the task that now falls to Akari — to stop the world from ending! With that, the two are transported to a fantastical island inhabited by strange and wonderful creatures, as well as a pair of all too human miscreants. These bungling bandits are however nowhere near as dangerous as the many-headed, mythological dragon that now threatens the world — and our young heroes!
In the wake of the spectacular success of Oscar-winner GODZILLA MINUS ONE, 2024 is the year to rediscover kaiju eiga, the amazing world of Japanese giant-monster cinema. The subgenre has delighted audiences worldwide for seven decades now, and for almost all that time, master artisan Keizo Murase has been deeply involved. Known mainly as a suit designer and creature sculptor, Murase has crafted memorable monster costumes for many titles in the GODZILLA, GAMERA, DAIMAJIN, KAMEN RIDER and ULTRAMAN franchises. His efforts were however limited to the special-effects department — until now. At the age of 88, Murase has completed his first feature film as a director, BRUSH OF THE GOD, and it’s truly something special. The kaiju scenes are of course a joy, done in the classic style that Murase himself was vital in defining. More than that, however, BRUSH OF THE GOD is generously self-referential, a venerable master’s reflection on his extensive legacy, and his expression of hope that the magic of kaiju eiga will live on, today and in the years to come. – Rupert Bottenberg
Showings
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
FAQ
Damin Kim
A stressed-out elementary-school student secretly befriends a bottle of rice wine that can communicate through Morse Code. A heartwarming sci-fi/coming-of-age story guaranteed to make you smile.
Dead Dead Full Dead
Pratul Gaikwad
Deadpan delirium abounds as an unusual murder investigation entangles a pair of inept cops and assorted other lovable idiots in this odd, even otherworldly mutation of the mystery-comedy genre.
Electrophilia
Lucía Puenzo
A woman wakes up from a coma six weeks after having been struck by lightning. Something—everything—is different now. A subversive and beautiful genre work, reminiscent of CRASH-era Cronenberg.