Synopsis
In 1992, photographer Masahisa Fukase has turned his back on the world, shutting himself away in his blacked-out apartment by day and drinking himself into oblivion each night at his favourite bar. With a growing sense of impending death, his only remaining ambition is to capture the moment on film.
When young photographer Miyako Ishiuchi visits him to photograph the scars on his body, Fukase is forced to confront memories long buried: his break from his family in Hokkaido, the emotional violence of his parents, and the path that led him to Tokyo in search of artistic freedom.
Then came Yoko Wanibe. Their love and creative partnership produced work as intimate as it was revolutionary, but ambition, alcohol, jealousy and the corrosive demands of artistic obsession slowly began to fracture the relationship. Through it all, Fukase is shadowed by Tsukuyomi — an eight-foot raven-headed spirit guiding him through pain, desire and the cost of becoming an artist.
RAVENS
A dark fantasy love story about legendary Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase, his wife Yoko, and the obsessive pursuit of art, memory and self-destruction.
Teasers
Festival Highlights
Key talent behind the film
A director-led piece shaped with restraint and intention—where performance, rhythm, and image work in quiet alignment. The principal cast carries the film with emotional precision, grounding the horror in something intimate and human, while the producing team protects a singular tone across every department. The result is a controlled, atmospheric approach to sci-fi horror—more unease than spectacle, more psychology than noise.
Mark is an Oscar and Bafta nominated writer and director from Manchester, UK. Mark's debut feature 'England is Mine' which he co-wrote and directed is based on the early life of Morrissey, icon and lead singer of seminal UK band The Smiths. His breakthrough came in 2012 with the The Voorman Problem, a whimsical dark comedy starring Martin Freeman and Tom Hollander. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 2014 and a BAFTA in 2013. Mark's latest film, Ravens stars Emmy Nominated actor Asano Tadanobu (Shogun) and is a darkly surreal love story about iconic Japanese photographer, Masahisa Fukase. Ravens world premiered at Austin Film Festival and picked up the Marquee Film Audience Award.
Fernando Ruiz is a cinematographer known for his work on Ravens, a magical realist biopic on the life of legendary Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase. He attended film school in London in 2005. Fernando won several accolades for his early films, beginning at age 14, including Best Screenplay and Best Film for La Máscara de Juan Rana in 2005, Best Film for his short film Jude's Story in 2006, and Best Film RTVA for his short film Tiempo in 2007. Since then, Fernando has worked as a cinematographer on feature films and commercials.
Tadanobu Asano's a Japanese film actor. His father suggested he take on what became his first role in the TV show Kimpachi Sensei at 16. His film debut was Swimming Upstream (1990) though his first major critical success was in Shunji Iwai's Fried Dragon Fish (1993). His first critical success in the West was in Hirokazu Koreeda's Maborosi (1995), in which he played a man who inexplicably throws himself in front of a train, widowing his wife & orphaning his infant son. His best known works internationally are the samurai films Taboo (1999) & The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003). It was on the set of Iwai's Picnic (1996) that he met & fell in love with J-Pop idol Chara. They married soon after learning she was pregnant with their first child, Sumire. While best known for characters who are psychologically offbeat, if not downright psychotic (e.g. Kakihara in Ichi the Killer (2001)), he has been described by those who know him as a down-to-earth family man. He has directed commercial TV spots for Chara. Hesistant to identify himself as an actor, he most readily describes himself as a vocalist, referring to Mach 1.67, the band he has w/ director Gakuryû Ishii. He's also an artist & sometimes works as a model, most notably for the Japanese designers Takeo Kikuchi & Jun Takahashi.
Kumi Takiuchi nació el 21 de octubre de 1989 en Japón. Es una actriz, conocida por Yûko no tenbin (2020), Teki (2024) y The Interpreter (2019).
Kanji Furutachi was born in Osaka Japan. He is an actor known for Harmonium (2016), directed by Koji Fukada, which won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. His recent appearances includes Idaten (2019), From Miyamoto to You (2019) and Kyoukaishi (2018). His many film appearances include Hospitalité and My Back Page (for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Award from the Takasaki Film Festival and the Best New Comer Award at the Tama Cinema Forum). He studied acting with Uta Hagen, Carol Rosenfeld, and many others at HB Studio in New York City. - IMDb mini biography by: kanji furutachi
Kazunari Yanagitani was born on January 24, 1989 in Nagasaki, Japan. He is an actor, known for Sunny (2024), Buzzy Noise (2024) and Tôtasu no tabi (2016).
Sôsuke Ikematsu was born on July 9, 1990 in Dazaifu, Japan. He is an actor, known for The Last Samurai (2003), Love's Whirlpool (2014) and Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016).
Jose Luis will be seen in the anticipated "The man who killed Don Quixote, Terri Gilliam's long-awaited update on the Cervantes novel playing... Well, one of the Quixote's incarnations. José Luis has studied both in Paris and in New York where he has lived and work for years as part of the Spanish repertory theater ( Repertorio Español) He has studied at Atlantic Theater Company ( the David Mamet company and school) and at "Les Cours Florent" in Paris. theater producer ("Danzad Malditos" an adaptation of "they shoot horses don't they that won the Spanish award for the best new theater production in 2016.
Go Jibiki is a Japanese actor born in Tokyo. Due to his father's work, he lived in Singapore (1983–86) and New York (1986–89), becoming fluent in English. Returning to Japan, he began acting and joined the theater group Wakakusa at 14 (leaving at 16). His debut film was April Story (1998) by Shunji Iwai. After graduating from Gakushuin University, he studied at acting school En, completing it in 2001. In 2007, he collaborated with director Koji Wakamatsu on five films, including United Red Army, where he played leader Tsuneo Mori. The film won awards at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival. Jibiki is skilled in iaijutsu (Japanese sword-drawing martial art), training under master Tetsuzan Kuroda for over 20 years.
Reception and Awards
The film has begun to reap important recognition on the international circuit and has been presented at different festivals:
Critical Reception
A selection of international coverage highlighting the film’s visual language, emotional precision and singular portrait of Masahisa Fukase.
“A visual masterpiece that transcends the biopic genre. Gill demonstrates extraordinary sensitivity.”
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“Gill’s compassionate approach is the key to Ravens, as it tries to explore Fukase’s demons, but also understand the good and the bad of those around him.”
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“Ravens captures the poetic essence of Fukase’s work with hypnotic precision.”
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“An intimate and disturbing portrait that challenges the conventions of contemporary cinema.”
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“Ravens is a masterpiece from start to finish, never lagging, boring or stagnating.”
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“Ravens is undoubtedly one of the best films of 2024, offering a powerful and unforgettable cinematic experience.”
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In the world of photography, capturing the essence of life and emotion is an art form that transcends language and culture. At the recent Festival...
The annual Festival de Málaga is renowned for showcasing some of the most intriguing films in Spanish cinema. A big highlight of the festival is...
Tadanobu Asano has been a pillar of excellence in the world of film, captivating audiences with his profound performances and unique style. His recent victory...
