The highly anticipated rural drama, “Black Ox” by Tsuta Tetsuichiro, has been acquired by Hong Kong and Beijing-based agency Asian Shadows for worldwide sales. The film, which is premiering at the Tokyo International Film Festival in the Asian Future section, is preparing for its commercial release in Taiwan the subsequent week.
"Black Ox” is a captivating journey through the 19th century, portraying the life of a man who transitions from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle in the mountains to a life on a farm. He discovers an ox and manages to lead it back to his home, where it becomes an integral part of his life, representing a symbolic transition through different seasons.
The film, set in Japan, hails inspiration from the "Ten Ox-Herding Pictures,” a collection of Zen Buddhist poems and illustrations that portray the path to spiritual awakening and enlightenment. The cast includes well-known Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng, Japanese actor Tanaka Min, and the internationally recognized choreographer, Kei Takei. The original score for the film was composed by the renowned Sakamoto Ryuichi.
"Black Ox" is a collaborative project between Japan, Taiwan, and the U.S, with production credits naming Niko Niko Film (Japan), Moolin Films (Taiwan), Cinema Inutile (U.S.-Japan), Cineric Creative (U.S.-Japan), and Fourier Films (Japan). Initially known as “Black Cattle”, the film has received support from TAICCA’s International Co-funding Program and participated in funding markets like the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion and Busan’s Asian Project Market.
Shot in southwest Japan's Shikoku, where director Tsuta was born, "Black Ox” is the second film in a feature trilogy. His debut film, “The Tale of Iya”, received recognition at the Tokyo festival and subsequent film festivals. Notably, "Black Ox" is recorded as the first narrative feature in Japanese film history to be shot on 70mm film stock.
Asian Shadows is renowned for handling ambitious works including six films by Wang Bing and titles from the likes of Rima Das, Wayne Wang, and Soda Kazuhiro.
