Lu Over the Wall – 2018
Friday, April 13, 5:15 PM
Sunday, April 15, 1:15 PM
Lu Over the Wall
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Narrative
107 minutes
Japan
From visionary anime auteur Masaaki Yuasa, comes a hallucinogenic-but-family-friendly take on the classic fairy tale of the little mermaid who falls in love with mankind, and then comes ashore to join a dysfunctional middle school rock band and propel them to fame.
New kid Kai is talented but adrift, spending his days sulking and isolated in a small fishing village after his family moves from Tokyo. When he demonstrates a proficiency at making music on his synthesizer, his classmates invite him to join their nascent garage band, but their practice sessions soon bring an unexpected guest: Lu, a young mermaid whose fins turn to feet when she hears the beats, and whose singing causes humans to compulsively dance – whether they want to or not. Winner of the grand prize at Annecy, Lu Over the Wall is a toe-tapping, feel-good demonstration of Yuasa’s genre-mixing mastery that will leave you humming long after you leave the theater.
“It’s an energetic, frequently hilarious, always visually riveting ride… a complete delight whether you’re a kid or adult, animation fan or not.” -Dan Schindel, The Film Stage