ARTICLE
Singaporean Director Eric Khoo's latest film 'Spirit World' has the support of CHANEL
By InCinemas / 14 Oct 2024 (Monday)
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The House of CHANEL has proudly announced its support for the film Spirit World by Singaporean director Eric Khoo.
Spirit World, shot in Japan and produced by Matilde Incerti (La Vérité by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Titane by Julia Ducournau, Julie (en 12 chapitres) by Joachim Trier) tells the fictional story of musician Claire Emery (played by Catherine Deneuve) who flies to Tokyo for a farewell concert before her earthly life ends abruptly. She unexpectedly transforms into a ghost, a spirit, a ‘yokai’, and is guided through the spirit world by the deceased Yuzo (Yutaka Takenouchi), one of her most fervent admirers. With this film, the director explores the mythology of ghosts, which plays a big role in Japanese popular culture and is a genre in its own right in Japanese art. Ever since the Edo period, apparitions of the deceased have been widely represented, first in painting and theatre, and then in cinema from the 1930s and with the J-HORROR movement. This radiant road-trip to the afterlife evokes the theme of reconciliation and the bond we maintain with our loved ones after their death.
CHANEL accompanied the Spirit World team in the creation of this poetic and fantastical work, through financial backing for the production, support to costume designer Pascaline Chavanne (winner of several César awards), and the loan of jewellery creations for Deneuve as well as CHANEL outfits and accessories for actress Maiya Goshima. The intimate relationship between the House and Deneuve is long rooted in CHANEL's history with this legendary actress. Deneuve contributed to the reputation of N°5, as the face of its advertising campaigns in the United States, and wore outfits created by CHANEL for the film Marcello Mioby Christophe Honoré, presented in the official competition at Cannes in May 2024.
By supporting this project, CHANEL encourages the artistic vision of one of today's biggest directors and the recognition of a great Singaporean voice. Eric Khoo directed his first feature film, Mee Pok Man in 1995, followed by 12 Storeys in 1997, becoming a leading figure in Singaporean cinema at the most prestigious festivals. Celebrated for raising the profile of his home country abroad and revitalising its film industry, Khoo was awarded a Cultural Medal in Singapore. Along with James Toh and Lucilla Teoh, he wrote the white paper that led to the creation of the Singapore Film Commission. Be With Me was selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, and My Magic was selected in Official Competition in 2008. In 2010, a retrospective of Khoo's work was held at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The following year, his first animated feature, Tatsumi, was selected for ‘Un Certain Regard’ at Cannes and had its North American premiere at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Khoo was also invited to join the official jury of the Cannes short film competition in 2017.
Spirit World premiered on 11 October 2024 in Korea at the Busan International Film Festival, of which The House is a partner. The film will make its Singapore premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival, featuring as the opening film for the festival’s Horizon section, which seeks to highlight the most exciting discoveries emerging from the international film festival circuit.