INU-OH Q&A | TIFF 2021

The team behind INU-OH in conversation with TIFF in advance of its premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. Two boys marginalized by society in 14th-century Japan find power through dance and song, in Masaaki Yuasa’s animated tale of friendship and magic. The 46th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 9 to 18, 2021. For more, visit . Based on the original work THE TALE OF THE HEIKE, INU-OH’S EPISODE written by Hideo Furukawa, the fi lm follows the life of a legendary fi gure in Japanese history: Inu-Oh, “King Dog,” a dramatic performer in the 14th century when the folk theatre of Sarugaku (“monkey music”) transitioned into the tradition of Noh. Though he was extremely popular in that era, very few documents about Inu-Oh’s life have survived, leaving room for Masaaki Yuasa’s bold vision to paint on screen the extraordinary story of a prodigy who is lost in time, and whose explosive creativity gave birth to an art form. Born with unique physical