Tony Takitani (cze. & engl. subt.)

Since he was a kid, Tony Takitani has had trouble because of his "American" name, given to him by his jazz trombonist father. As a result, the boy’s childhood taught him something about solitude. Now a grown man, he lives decently as a technical illustrator. He falls in love with Eiko and they marry. His wife has one overriding passion: she loves designer clothes. But an expensive hobby soon turns into an obsession.... Screenwriter and director Jun Ichikawa has shot an unusually pure minimalist film based on the novel of the same name by Haruki Murakami. He demonstrates that film is a complementary art, combining literature, image and music. In slow, perfectly composed shots, accompanied by the sparse music of Ryuichi Sakamoto, he tells an emotive story which follows the strange and withdrawn life of an isolated man from childhood to maturity. The narrator’s role here is substantial. An interesting note: acclaimed lead actors take on double roles: Issey Ogata plays Tony and his father, Rie Miyazawa plays Eiko and her look-alike Hisako. (source: Catalogue 40th Karlovy Vary IFF)