In Memoriam

[scottishlass]

The director and author of one of my all time favourite anime movies Tokyo Godfathers, Kon Satoshi, has died of pancreatic cancer recently. He wrote a farewell letter to his family and friends (English translation here, link kindly provided by ladysaotome) which pretty much shows his wit, his fears and also how a human being can raise above its existence in the face of death.

Kon Satoshi's Tokyo Godfathers is a perfect movie for those grey, rainy days where you cuddle up on the sofa with a blanket and a cup of tea. It is a family-orientated feel good movie with beautiful images and a good story line and a hell of a score.
Jin, Hana and Miyuki are three homeless ppl with very different background and ages. While Jin is a mid-40 drunk and ex race driver, Hana is in his mid twenties and a transvestite, desperately seeking for a home and a family and Miyuki is a teenager, a runaway from home who has hit the streets of Tokyo. These three characters form a very dysfunctional family, yet their friendship, their feelings for each other make them a family that works.
When they find a baby on Christmas Eve Hana can persuade the other two to keep the baby for the night and only give it to the police the next morning. Of course the next morning, he still wants to keep the baby, even giving her a name (Kyoko) and they decide to find the parents of the baby on their own. What then follows is a roaring adventure through the streets of Tokyo and a view into the three protagonists' lives before they ended up at the bottom rung of society.

Comments

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to find his movies now that I've read his letter. It was unforgettable to say the least.

[vierran45.livejournal.com]

I've only seen Paprika by him, and that film was fantastic. Visually very trippy, with a story reminiscent of the Matrix and other such films where dreams and reality slowly start to blend together.

His farewell letter had me in tears.

[back2real.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting the link to the translation. I often wonder how I would respond to such bad news as what he and his wife received. While heartbreaking, it sounds like he faced the end with great dignity and courage. It's kind of inspiring.