The Deer King

After a bloody war, the kingdom of Aquafa appears to have submitted to the powerful empire of Zol. But the rulers of Aquafa have one last secret weapon: demonic dogs whose bite transmits an incurable disease. When the dogs attack a mine controlled by Zol, the only survivors of the deadly bite are Van, a convict and former stag rider, and Yuna, an orphan girl. Together they flee to a peaceful mountain village where Van gradually takes on the role of Yuna’s surrogate father.

Fascinated by Van’s mysterious survival, Dr. Hohsalle sets out to find him in the hope of extracting a cure for the disease from his blood. Aquafa’s rulers, in turn, send their best tracker Sae to prevent this. When Yuna is kidnapped by the dogs one night, Van has to join forces unwillingly with Hohsalle and Sae. Together they follow the trail of the missing girl and venture ever closer to the source of the disease.

The epic plot of “The Deer King”, based on a series of books, combines political intrigue with dark mythology in spectacular images. Masashi Ando, who makes his directorial debut with this film, is one of the great veterans of the Japanese animation film scene. As a character designer and animation director, he has been involved in some of the country’s most important productions, including “Paprika”, “Princess Mononoke” (screened at this year’s Fantoche festival), “Spirited Away” and “Your Name”. The influence of “Mononoke” is clearly noticeable here and much is reminiscent of Miyazaki’s intoxicating fable: ranging from beautifully staged forests to the critical look at the coexistence of man and nature and complex character drawings that do not allow for easy distinction between good and evil. (Mischa Haberthür)