Production I.G.’s ‘Digitals’. It’s made entirely with CG without words like a promotional video though it always credits the production name. It’s excellent that it has an introduction, development, turn and conclusion within the short stories of 2 or 3 minutes, not just display the technology. It might be because of the director, Mamoru Oshii. I’m not sure if I can express with words the appeal of those stories, but I would try.

‘Loop’ (Production I.G.)

‘Loop’ features a mysterious linked story of a person who makes a doll. ‘Friends’ features an unfortunate event that happens to an alien who thinks the tower of a high-tension electric wire is a friend. ‘Heart Eater’ features an after story of a dog whose life was saved by the owner from an alien and ‘Wing’s Tree’ features a love story of a personified jet plane (female) and propeller plane (male). Therefore he suffers from inferiority complex against her, but one day she gets an engine trouble and he rouses himself to help her…

‘Wing’s Tree’ (Production I.G.)

In addition to the above mentioned pictures, ‘R’ (Sapporo Digital Film Festival Workshop), ‘Tekkon Kinkreet‘ (Studio 4℃), ‘Keikaku/Fuunden Ibun’, ‘Kuutyuu Izakaya’, ‘Chicken Hoken ni Kanyuu Kudasai’ (Studio 4℃) were shown.

Tekkon Kinkreet Trailer (Studio 4℃)

My impression of this whole digital presentation was that the latest digital technology must change the whole process of film making (especially in terms of the production cost and labor), but I could reconfirm that the interest of film existed in good quality idea drawn by a human being, not technology. The black humor of ‘Heavy Rotation’, innocence of ‘Tekkon Kinkreet’, and story filled with humanity of ‘Digitals’. I felt the true nature was in our universal emotions, and left the hall.

Yubari International Film Festival 2000
Date: February 18th – 22nd, 2000
Place: Yuubari Sports Center, Yubari Community Center
Address: Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan
https://yubarifanta.jp