“Deep down in the forest there lived flower
fairies in flower gardens, waking up with the sunrise, eating sweets, and
chatting with each other. One day they
had a visit from him and then. . .”
– Geidai
2013 DVD description
“A richly coloured, horticultural emporium
of all-sizes, an operatic break-out, a techno-hued extravaganza.”
- MIAF 2013 catalogue description.
There is a
lot of pressure on Japanese women to keep a slender figure, so it is delightful
to find a young filmmaker who has made a film that celebrates the Rubenesque
form. For her graduate film for Geidai
(Tokyo University of the Arts), Ayasa Kugenuma collaborated with students from
the Geidai music department to create The
Blooms (2013).
Over the quiet
stillness of a watercolour garden scene, a female operatic voices tells us that these deep red blossoms
can be found in a tranquil garden in the deep forest. Morning has broken, and the flowers open to
reveal the chubby ladies who inhabit them.
The buxom forest fairies are dressed in negligee, some wearing
heart-shaped sunglasses. Some of the
other blossoms are laden with objects of decadence: cakes, fruit and berries,
jewellery, and wrapped presents.
After a morning of indulgence a fat caterpillar
appears, singing in his bass voice “Hello Honey!” The women embrace the caterpillar and compete
with each other for his affection. When
he leaves, they cry and mourn his departure.
The next day, the women bloom again in a spectacular way, bared their
breasts to the warm sunlight accompanied by jazzy music. It is a sensual declaration that they will
enjoy their short lives as indulgently as possible. It is a colourful tribute to the beauty of
the natural world and to voluptuous femininity.
The music
was composed by Kayoko Naoe with
sound design by Fumiya Iwanaga. The music was performed by Saki Nakae and Maki Takimoto (sopranos), Shiho
Ogawa (mezzosoprano), Miyako Honda
(alto), and Takaki Kurihara (bass),
with orchestral accompaniment from Honoka
Maki (flute), Nami Sugai (alto
sax), Yu Ishimoto (trumpet), Ayaka Suzuki (trumpet, piccolo
trumpet), Yurie Shirai (trombone), Tatsuro Kano (bass), Shota Kowashi (drums), Atoko Noda (violin), and Makoto Fukumoto (cello).
Ayasa Kugenuma (久下沼朱紗,
b. 1987) was born in Tokyo. She did her
BA in Graphic Design at Tama Art University (2011) and her MA in Animation at
Geidai (2013). In addition to animation,
Kugenuma does freelance animation. Check
out her illustrations and other work on her official website or on her tumblr. The
Blooms won best student film at FICAM 2014
and is continuing to screen at international festivals throughout this year.
Catherine Munroe Hotes 2014
