Friday, 25 March 2016
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Review of Miss Hokusai
I recently watched Miss Hokusai and was mesmerized by the beauty of the animation. The film depicts the life of the Hokusai family focusing not on Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849) the famous woodblock print artist but on his artist daughter. The film incorporates Hokusai's artworks into the narrative giving the work context and the plot meaning.
What I found fascinating about the film was the lack of romance and a simple narrative which explored the characters more deeply. The film portrays a determined and sensitive young woman who keenly observes the world around her incorporating it into her painting. Her young blind sister brings out the maternal in her.
As mentioned before the lack of a romantic subplot allows the film to develop and the characters to grow in maturity without being distracted. Miss Hokusai is a single woman whose talent while admirable seems to intimidate the men around her who admire her but don't see her as a romantic partner. Her strong sense of duty coupled with her talent make her content within herself and her world.
The animation is beautiful conveying a range of emotions and providing a breathtaking experience. The changing seasons an little detail from Hokusai's prints were cleverly woven into the story and provided animation to prints we have only seen as still.
What I personally found interesting was the way a story of two artists were told in a historical setting with the focus not on Hokusai the artist but his daughter. The stories within the stories were equally compelling and animated with skill.
PS: This film passes the Bechdel test.
What I personally found interesting was the way a story of two artists were told in a historical setting with the focus not on Hokusai the artist but his daughter. The stories within the stories were equally compelling and animated with skill.
PS: This film passes the Bechdel test.
Tuesday, 15 March 2016
Monday, 7 March 2016
Asylum magazine 30th Anniversary issue
New issue out now. Thank you to our contributors whose work has kept us going for 30 years. We appreciate your writing and art and look forward to more.
Contributions include artist/writer Sanchita Islam . You can read her article titled Should mental health patients be forced to take medication? Here
To subscribe to the magazine click here.
Contributions include artist/writer Sanchita Islam . You can read her article titled Should mental health patients be forced to take medication? Here
To subscribe to the magazine click here.
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
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