Based on a collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami, an animated feature film that follows the lives of multiple characters as they navigate post-Tsunami existence and the existential repercussions of urban life, including an unambitious bank employee, his disheartened wife, a delusional accountant, a lost cat and a giant talkative frog.

Set in Tokyo shortly after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami (東北地方太平洋沖地震), adapted from six short stories by Japanese author Haruki Murakami (村上春樹). The six short stories are The Wind-up Bird and Tuesday’s Women (ねじまき鳥と火曜日の女たち), UFO in Kushiro (UFOが釧路に降りる), Super-Frog Saves Tokyo (かえるくん、東京を救う), Birthday Girl (バースデイ・ガール), Dabchick (かいつぶり), and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (めくらやなぎと眠る女)

Komura (Amaury de Crayencour) jolts awake, a nightmare clinging to the edges of his consciousness. He glances beside him, but Kyoko’s side of the bed is empty. A disquiet settles in his gut as he throws off the covers and heads downstairs. There, in the living room, he finds Kyoko sitting on the sofa. Beside her, nestled contentedly, is a cat named Watanabe.

The flickering television casts an eerie glow on Kyoko’s face as she watches, transfixed, by the devastating news report. Images of the tsunami engulfing Fukushima flash across the screen, the accompanying death toll rising with each passing moment. He knows the news is grim, but he can’t help but ask if she wants to go to bed since it’s 3am in the morning. Kyoko (Mathilde Auneveux) remains silent, her gaze unwavering. Komura leaves and returns to their bedroom.

In his cramped apartment, Katagiri (Arnaud Maillard), Komura’s colleague at Tokyo Security Trust Bank, smokes a post-breakfast cigarette while listening to the devastating news on his tiny FM radio. Lulling with the rhythmic train ride to work, he drifts to sleep, finding himself floating inside a colossal flying worm.

Katagiri faces pressure from his supervisor, Mr. Suzuki, to secure results from Big Bear Trading’s 700 million loan. Despite Katagiri’s claims of exhausting all legal avenues, Mr. Suzuki blames Katagiri and demands a resolution by week’s end, hinting at disastrous consequences if he fails.

Komura confides in his colleague Sasaki at the office, worried about Kyoko’s recent behavior. When Komura returns to his home in the evening, he finds Kyoko’s farewell letter waiting for him. Her words sting, accusing him of emotional emptiness and comparing life with him to living with a chunk of air. She begs him not to search for her and entrusts him with the care of their cat, Watanabe, who remains missing. Taking the evening train, Komura is scheduled to visit his sister’s family. The journey is long and arduous, mirroring the emotional turmoil within him.

Katagiri stares, dumbfounded, at the giant green Frog (Pierre Földes) waiting for him in his tiny apartment. The improbable creature speaks in a shockingly human voice, warning of an another earthquake, one of unimaginable magnitude, will strike Tokyo at 9:33 am on 23 March, claiming over 300,000 lives. The Frog implores Katagiri’s aid in a mythical battle against an ancient, gargantuan worm lurking beneath the city. To prove his reality and forge an unlikely alliance, the frog offers to help Katagiri recover Big Bear Trading’s elusive 700 million loan. Will Katagiri believe the Frog’s outlandish claims and join him in this extraordinary quest to save Tokyo?

Komura requests a week off from Mr. Suzuki (Féodor Atkine). Instead, Mr. Suzuki asks him to use this opportunity to rethink his career choice. Over the past seven years, Komura’s performance in lending has stagnated, and Mr. Suzuki informs him that half of his department will be outsourced within a year. Mr. Suzuki also offers Komura a severance package if he chooses to leave the bank.

Sasaki (Bruno Paviot) suggests that, instead of contemplating miserably at home for a week, Komura should take a trip to Hokkaido. Sasaki reveals that he needs someone to deliver a small package to his younger sister who lives in Kushiro; he is too busy to deliver it himself and doesn’t want to send it by post. Sasaki offers to pay for the plane ticket and the hotel if Komura agrees to help him. Initially hesitant, Komura decides to travel to Kushiro, where Sasaki’s sister Keiko (Isabelle Vitari) and her friend Shimao (Géraldine Schitter) await him at the airport.

Meanwhile, Kyoko meets her old friend Ken (Laurent Stocker) at Hotel Astral, reminiscing about her past lover Hiroshi who died. Soon after, she moved to Tokyo, and Komura, who had been like a brother to both of them and secretly in love with her, also moved to Tokyo to take care of her. Kyoko used to work as a part-time waitress at the restaurant called “Cherubini” before it was changed into a hotel. She vividly recalls her 20th birthday, when fate led her to meet the elusive owner (Jean-Pierre Kalfon) who lived in Room 604 on the sixth floor. Upon learning it was her birthday, the owner offered to grant her a wish. Though initially surprised by her request, he readily fulfilled it. However, they have not crossed paths since that day.

What truly sets this animated film apart is its audacious weaving of six distinct narratives into a single, captivating tapestry. The filmmaker masterfully blends dream-like spirituality and suspenseful mysteries, keeping viewers enthralled throughout its runtime. No mere patchwork, this film seamlessly interconnects diverse storylines, creating a captivating whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

SAULES AVEUGLES, FEMME ENDORMIE premiered at Festival international du film d’animation d’Annecy on 13 June 2022, where it was awarded Jury Distinction for feature film (Mention du Jury – Longs métrages). The film also received awards for Best Original Soundtrack (Prix de la Meilleure musique originale) at Les Arcs Film Festival, Best Animated Feature (Prix du Meilleur long-métrage) at Le Festival Anima, and Audience Award for Best Feature (Publieksprijs voor Beste Speelfilm) at Kaboom Animation Festival. めくらやなぎと眠る女 won Grand Prix at Niigata International Animation Film Festival (第１回NIAFFコンペティション部門受賞結果).

SAULES AVEUGLES, FEMME ENDORMIE was theatrically released in France on 22 March 2023.

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