Archipel
Animation, imagination and reality merge in this enchanting search for the soul of the French-Canadian province of Quebec.
72'
Canada
IFFR 2021
They are known as the ‘The Witches of the Orient’: the Japanese women’s volleyball team who won Olympic gold at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. They started out as the team of a textile factory, winning victory after victory, and their record of 258 successive wins remains unbeaten to this day. The team were so popular that a whole raft of manga characters, cartoons and anime series was based on them. Julien Faraut’s sparkling documentary makes use of fantastic manga and anime sequences, such as Attack no 1 (1968), with archival footage of blood-curdling matches and extreme training sessions, driven by rhythmic editing and great music from French musician K-Raw.
Faraut has previously dived deep into the world of sports, such as in L’Empire de la perfection, featuring 16mm footage of tennis player John McEnroe. This time he adds a smattering of pop culture references. When the women – now in their seventies – get together again after many years, they are playfully introduced like the heroines of a 1960s spy film. Volleyball like you’ve never seen it before.
IFFR 2021
Programme IFFR 2021
A diverse competition bridging the gap between popular, classic and art house cinema. An expert audience jury picks the winner.
Still: As We Like It
Read more about this programmeAnimation, imagination and reality merge in this enchanting search for the soul of the French-Canadian province of Quebec.
72'
Canada
IFFR 2021
Sophisticated, layered drama about breaking out of your social bubble and looking for love in contemporary Japan.
124'
Japan
IFFR 2021
Energetic, colourful reworking of Shakespeare’s love story, in which the lovebirds are now played by women. Set in the bustling metropolis of Taipei.
107'
Taiwan
IFFR 2021