Satoshi Kon is one of the most iconic figures in the world of anime. What makes the art that he devoted his life to so enduring? That's the question that the upcoming documentarySatoshi Kon, The Illusionist will seek to answer.
Kon's first major work was the 1993 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA, which he wrote several episodes of. He then went on to direct several of the greatest anime films ever made, including Paprika and Perfect Blue. He also created the miniseries Paranoia Agent, which many fans consider to be his greatest work. Kon died of pancreatic cancer when he was just 46, but his genius has lived on.
Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist will premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival as part of the "Cannes Classics" selection. Pascal-Alex Vincent, whose short Baby Shark competed at Cannes back in 2005, is directing the documentary. It will delve into Kon's work in both comics and animation. Many well-known admirers of Kon will appear in the documentary to reflect on his legacy. For instance, animation directors such as Rodney Rothman, Jeremy Clapin, and Mamoru Hosoda feature among the cast. Acclaimed filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, perhaps the most famous director to pay homage to Kon in his work, shows up. Members of Kon's family will also feature in the interviews. It'll be exciting to see if they can shed some light on what he was really like. Kon's personal life is a bit of a mystery, even to his closest fans.
In 2010, Kon was still hard at work on the film Dreaming Machine. He described it as a road movie, but with robots instead of humans. After he died, the studio behind the film, Madhouse, made an effort to finish what Kon had started. But due to a lack of funds and continued delays, they came to a grim realization. No one could complete the film as Kon would have. Even if they tried, it would feel like imitation.
When Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist's trailer came out, various sites reported that it would feature footage from Dreaming Machine. The documentary's original subtitle was The Dreaming Machine, which led many to think it would focus on Kon's unfinished film. However, its title has changed since then, and the trailer is no longer available online. Hopefully, these changes don't mean that the Dreaming Machine footage will be absent from the finished work.
But regardless of whether that's the case or not, this is a huge event for fans of Kon. Anyone looking for a deep dive into his life and career should take the time to check it out.
Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist will screen at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, which runs from July 6-17.
Source: Festival de Cannes