Japanese cinema wins big at Portugal's Fantasporto film awards
'Dollhouse', presented at the world premiere, was the winner of the fantastic cinema competition at the Porto festival and promises to become a "J-horror" classic.
Since the Annabelle doll became an instantly recognisable icon in the horror universe just over 10 years ago, the myth of the doll that comes to life (as old as cinematic horror itself) has come back into fashion.
With Dollhouse, by Japanese director Shinobu Yaguchi, the big winner at this year's Fantasporto, which ended its 45th edition on Saturday in Porto, this myth makes its grand entrance into the J-horror universe.
The film is produced by the giant Toho and had its world premiere here, bringing a team of more than 20 people to Porto and receiving a standing ovation of more than 10 minutes.
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A couple lose their five-year-old daughter in a domestic accident and decide to buy a lifelike doll to help make up for the dead girl's absence. Forgotten for years after the couple have a second daughter, the doll is rediscovered by the family's new daughter, who ends up establishing an unhealthy relationship with it.
Dollhouse ends up fitting into all the canons of classic horror and, in the decision of the jury for the fantastic cinema competition, it beat out bolder productions such as Prédio Vazio, the new blood orgy by Brazilian Rodrigo Aragão (who the festival organisers consider to be the main successor to José Mojica Marins as the master of Brazilian horror) or the American Succubus (RJ Daniel Hanna), a modern tale about addiction to social networks and online contacts. According to the jury notes, Dollhouse is "remarkably realised, offering a poignant and unforgettable exploration of human vulnerability".
Trailer for 'Dollhouse'It's true that the Porto festival has been establishing itself as a showcase for Asian cinema, particularly Japanese, in Europe. With three Japanese winners in the last five editions, is Fantasporto becoming too centred on the Land of the Rising Sun? Beatriz Pacheco Pereira, founder and director of the festival, says: "We don't prioritise Japanese films, in fact we have as many Japanese films as European ones in competition. The truth is that Japanese production has been very strong in recent years, particularly in the field of fantastic cinema, and it's normal for this to be reflected in the awards."
Mário Dorminsky, who together with Beatriz Pacheco Pereira has been running the festival since it was founded in 1981, adds that the prominence that the festival gives to Japanese cinema is also reflected in the prestige that Fantsasporto has achieved in Japan, where it is referred to as "one of the world's three main festivals in the field of the fantastic, alongside Sitges and Brussels".
If Dollhouse took the top prize, the other big winner was Cielo, a British production directed by Spaniard Alberto Sciamma and shot entirely in Bolivia. With "fabulous cinematography and an intentional and striking palette, enriched by the arid landscape of Bolivia", in the words of the jury, the film wowed both the public and the judges with its visual component, winning the Special Jury Prize, the Best Cinematography Award and the Audience Award. "This film stands out as one of the most original and mesmerising fantasy films of recent years," adds the jury.
Trailer for 'Cielo'Customized/OEM/ODM Service
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