Playing for the Shorts: Go Big documentary portion of this year’s virtual Tribeca Film Festival will be Kata, from Tokyo-based writer/director James Latimer. Deadline’s Brandon Choe brought an exclusive first look at the latest work from Latimer’s seven-minute which already has a sold out screening set for June 10 with passes still available for the following day.
A fantastical and dramatic journey through the mind of 13-year-old Mahiro Takano, a long-time undefeated national kata karate form champion, who comes face-to-face with her greatest enemy yet.
As someone who spent a good deal of his youth as a practitioner of Shotakan myself, I’m never not impressed by someone as celebrated as Takano. Point in fact, the best part of Karate for me was learning Kata. I loved the performance aspect and honing in my own potential with each technique while sharpening them just a little more. Most other students in my classes didn’t like kata much and felt it was boring, but not me. It was also the least strenous part of class so… yeah.
There goes the nostalgia again. Kinda makes me wish it was 2010 again so I could discover Shunichi Nagasaki’s Kuro Obi for the first time. To see that level of sharpness and brilliance echoed in a prodigy like Takano brings me joy. Tons.
Check out the teaser and also read more at Deadline and visit Tribeca for more info.