In a world awash in technological overload and geopolitical unrest, the non-Japanese animated films at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which ran from Oct. 28 through Nov. 6, presented an alternative vision — focusing on, or including, the connections between humans, robots and nature.
While Japanese works were still prominent in TIFF’s animation selection, the entries from abroad underscored a return to fables and, in a variety of ways, served as meditative critiques on our current shared reality. They also pointed to a collective desire for simplicity and mutual care in an increasingly tech-distorted world.
Through tales of survival, transformation and companionship, films like “Memoir of a Snail,” “Flow,” “The Wild Robot,” “Gill,” and “Olivia & the Clouds” reflect a pull for both animators and their audiences toward rekindling the timeless wisdom from the realm of flora and fauna — suggesting a renewed reverence for the organic existence with its beauty and mystery.
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