In celebration of Anime Day (April 15), Kanopy — a video streaming service dedicated to “quality, thoughtful entertainment” — is showcasing a collection of award-winning, inspiring animated titles from the GKIDS catalog. Available to watch today, these adventurous films are free to stream for users nationwide who hold a partnered public or academic library card.
The recommended Anime Day movies, which include both acclaimed Japanese productions as well as diverse, compelling animations from Europe, are:
Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond: Totalling 12 short films all together, the two collections from Studio 4°C (Mind Game, MFKZ) share a simple goal — take an all-star team of the best animators working in anime and give each free rein to create a story celebrating “the spirit of creativity” — with mind-boggling results. Directors include Hideki Futamura, Masaaki Yuasa and Shinichiro Watanabe.
Summer Days with Coo: Directed by Keiichi Hara and produced by Shin-Ei Animation, this curious road trip adventure centers on a suburban fourth-grader who accidentally awakens a baby Kappa (a mythical water creature) from a 300 year slumber, and sets out to reunite this odd new friend “Coo” with his kind.
The Case of Hana and Alice: When Alice transfers to a new middle school, she hears an urban legend about a student who disappeared the previous year and is suspected to have been killed by his classmates. Even worse, she lives next door to his former (supposedly haunted) house, now occupied by a reclusive classmate named Hana. The girls decide to investigate this “murder case” together, but soon find their lack of detective skills may be an obstacle. Directed by Shunji Iwai, produced by Rockwell Eyes/Stephen Stephen.
Aya of Yop City: Set against the colorful and spirited backdrop of the Ivory Coast in the 1970s, Aya of Yop City is a vibrant, beautifully animated adaptation of the best-selling series of graphic novels by Marguerite Abouet, who co-directed the film with Clément Oubrerie. In a bustling neighborhood of Abidjan, 19-year-old Aya dreams of becoming a doctor, while her best friends Adjoua and Bintou just want to hang out, have fun and flirt with boys. Trouble arises when Adjoua gets pregnant by the son of a wealthy (and feared) man.
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles: Luis Buñuel is left penniless after the scandalous premiere of his film L’Age d’Or. His good friend, the sculptor Ramón Acín, buys a lottery ticket with the promise that if he wins, he will pay for Buñuel’s next film. Incredibly, luck is on their side, so they set out to make an unconventional documentary about Spain’s desperately poor Las Hurdes region. Buñuel’s initially callous approach to the extreme poverty and situations he encounters (or creates) gradually leads to a filmmaking experience that will transform him forever. Directed by Salvador Simó.
This Magnificent Cake!: In the late 19th century, keen to compete with other European imperial powers on the continent, King Leopold II of Belgium proclaimed, “I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake.” The subsequent occupation of the Congo would come to attract a contingent of servants, merchants and miscellaneous bourgeois driven by everything from insatiable greed to existential fear. From the intimate stories of these characters — many of whom pass through a luxury hotel in the middle of the jungle – emerges a greater narrative concerning the imperialist mentality. Directed by Marc James Roels and Emma de Swaef.
Kanopy carries movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, indie flicks and educational videos that inspire, enrich and entertain. The platform partners with public libraries and universities to deliver an ad-free experience available on TVs, mobile phones, tablets and online.
Learn more at www.kanopy.com
