Ibara hime matawa Nemuri hime

Even though the director of the film was a Japanese creator, who was also responsible for the visual aspect of the film, the inspiration from the classic Czech puppetry school, namely Trnka, cannot be denied. Kawamoto is a fan of Trnka and conceived his film as a tribute to the Czech classic. In his own way, he dealt with the old and widely known fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, and it must be said that I consider his version infinitely closer to the truth than what we know from books from childhood and live-action films. The film has a poetic mood with a balladic dark undertone, an interesting visual concept, and last but not least, an erotic charge, which is a rarity in puppetry films. Overall impression: 95%. (25.10.2009)

This was a pleasant surprise. In puppet films, the co-production with Japan is incredibly good for Czechs, especially in terms of the handling of the subject. This is indeed not a classic sleepy fairy tale, but an adult over-interpretation that makes sense and is as inventive as Goethe's "Rose." And of course, Daniela Kolářová's narration adds a natural charm that prevents bad taste. (23.10.2012)