kopitoto | 2020 | Japan & USA Production | 08'34''
【Awards】
2022 Lawther/Graff No Violence Award -- The 60th Ann Arbor Film Festival, USA
2021 2nd Place in The Best of 2021 in the Theaters -- Het Parool Amsterdam-based daily newspaper, NL
2021 Best Short Film Award (nominated) -- Cinedans FEST '21, NL
2021 Encouragement Award (nominated) -- Cinendas FEST '21, NL
2020 Finalist -- The 18th Annual Dance Camera West, LA, USA
2019 #mydancefilm Winner -- The 47th Annual Dance on Camera Festival, New York, USA
【Synopsis】
Our planet’s majesty is both mysterious and awe-inspiring. “kopitoto” offers us a glimpse into the snowy Japanese forests and the mythical inhabitants within.
【Production Info】
Production Company: Kusanagi Sisters (facebook.com/KusanagiSisters)
Country of Origin: Japan & USA
Filming Location: Iiyama, Nagano, Japan
Directed by Lisa Kusanagi, JuJu Kusanagi, Yvonne Meier
Conception by Lisa Kusanagi
Produced by Yvonne Meier, Lisa Kusanagi
Director of photography: Koichi Makino
Production Designer: Lisa Kusanagi
Editor: Lisa Kusanagi
Music Composer: Ran Bagno
Makeup Artists: Lisa Kusanagi, JuJu Kusanagi
Costume Designers: Kerry Chipman, Minako Kusanagi
Assistant Cameraman: Hiroyuki Azegami
Hair Artist: Cozy Baba
Poster Designer: Naomi Shalev
Crew: Minako Kusanagi, Shoji Kusanagi, Ken-ichi Takano, Tomonori Kobayashi, Norimitsu Koganei
Location Manager: Lisa Kusanagi
Sponsored by:
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award 2018 (NYC, USA)
Yume Covo Inc. (Tokyo, Japan)
Nabekura Kougen Heights Mori-no-Ie (Nagano, Japan)
【Reviews】
"Kopitoto” is lighthearted and weird, invoking hidden forest creatures and the life of a wintry Japanese wood itself. It’s the unholy alliance of Willy Wonka and an ‘80s Residents video (without the menace but with 100 times the technical skill). "
- Los Angeles Times (written by Michael Ordoña, January 8, 2020)
latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-01-08/dance-camera-west-film-festival
"Bushy eyebrows, bumpy costumes, a blue-lipped winter spirit and a landscape with lots of snow. The Japanese Kusanagi Sisters, who are inspired by the French film pioneer George Méliès, among others, combine a sense of humor with an eye for detail. Thanks to Cinedans, we can enjoy their short film at home during the first lockdown. Cheerful."
- Het Parool Amsterdam-based daily newspaper (written by Jacq Algra, December 23, 2021)
parool.nl/kunst-media/dit-was-het-beste-van-2021-in-de-theaters-volgens-de-paroolrecensenten~b21c3ab5/?fbclid=IwAR38JgERln6SfoND6SObhs7nhQSKhc1MZoqc0qJ6b6TFK28_aokmjJ7O2TE
