As Jiro suddenly seems to have lost his appetite for pancakes and syrup, his dad knows something’s not right. The doctor quickly figures it out: Jiro has cat flu. Harmless, it’s true, and rapid recovery is common, but something about the diagnosis is odd. Aren’t cats the only ones who can catch cat flu? In beautifully abstracted images and with deep devotion to detail, illustrator Jon Frickey tells an almost commonplace story.
by
Jon Frickey
Germany 2018
Japanese
11’ · Colour
recommendation: 4 years and up
World premiere
Kanon Yamamoto (Jiro)Yusuke Yamasaki (Daddy)Iroha Sato (Little girl)Shinobu Sawada (Doctor)Fumio Okura (Animal shelter employee)Yuna Fujiwara (Narrator)
Born in Stade, Germany in 1979, he currently lives and works in Hamburg. Having previously worked as an art director in advertising, he has been a freelance filmmaker and illustrator since 2006. Neko no Hi (Cat Days) is his first short film for children. For the translation and voice recording of the film he collaborated closely with Japanese artist Takashi Horiguchi.
Filmography2007 Keine Angst vorm Atom! (Don’t Fear the Atom!); short film 2008 Bankenkrise (Financial Crisis); short film 2010 mr. iiuu & the Nasty Bird; short film 2013 Michelles Opfer (Michelle’s Sacrifice); short film 2018 Neko no Hi (Cat Days); short film
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2018
Jon Frickeyjonfrickey.com