Swim and Swim

Dir: Ikuo Oishi

This adaptation of Bunzaburo Banno’s original work is one of the few surviving animated films by Ikuo Oishi. A monkey who cannot swim puts himself forward as a swimming contestant. Failing to learn to swim at the last minute, he in desperation seeks help from a kappa living at the bottom of the pool in the hope to win the race, and later comes to an awakening both surprising and heart-warming.

Ikuo Oishi (1902-1944)
Known as the ‘Walt Disney of Japan’, director-animator Oishi presented his first animation The Two Suns in 1929 (as Iku Oishi). He founded the Oishi Senga Seisakusho in 1930 which was later absorbed into Photo Chemical Laboratory, the predecessor of Toho, where he offered guidance to many fellow animators.

Tim Chan
As a local composer, percussionist and media artist, Chan’s compositional work can be heard from different commissions, institution and performing groups. He is interested in theatre music creation, automation engineering, field recording, and musical instrument-making. He is also the production manager of Hong Kong New Music Ensemble. The music scores of A Day after a Hundred Years and Swim and Swim are composed by local musician Tim Chan for this screening.