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Berlinale Competition Debut 'A New Dawn' Wins Visual Praise, Faces Story Critiques

The JapanFrance co-production blends hand-painted imagery, 3D techniques plus stop-motion as it seeks U.S. distribution.

Overview

  • Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s feature debut premiered in the Berlin Film Festival’s main competition, a rare slot for an animated film.
  • Critics commend the painterly look and hybrid craft, while many describe the screenplay and character work as thin or muddled.
  • The story follows friends confronting the threatened demolition of a family fireworks workshop, anchored by the symbolic “Shuhari” display.
  • Made by a small team, the film pairs Shinomiya’s traditional-arts background with stop-motion segments contributed by France’s Studio Miyu.
  • Reviews note a brisk 75–76 minute runtime and a principal voice cast of Riku Hagiwara, Kotone Furukawa and Miyu Irino.