About the artwork

This special effects monster film was made to entertain everyone – parents, children, and local people. I wanted to make the kind of film that would be possible only in Tokamachi and decided to shoot throughout the whole area of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial and have artworks and artists appear in the film as well. Since children were to be the center of the film, I also wanted fire fighters, mothers and teachers. Furthermore, I would use Tokamachi’s famous pottery piece, “Flame Vessel,” in the film. This all led to the inspiration for a story about the wild rampage of a humanoid weapon which had been sealed up by the people of the ancient Jomon Age civilization and then woke up and came back! To make it easy for the children to understand, I decided to put the script into cartoon form. What resulted from the myriad ideas and friendships formed was a film on a much grander scale than would be possible in an ordinary independent movie. This film was a summer 2003 gem, and I couldn’t make it again if I had to.