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Belladonna of Sadness Art Book Crowdfunding Campaign Launches

Painter Kuni Fukai's planned crowdfunding campaign to create a restored art book for the film Belladonna of Sadness launched on the Motion Gallery site on Wednesday, with a funding goal of 3 million yen (about US$20,800). The campaign will run until October 31. As of press time, the campaign has raised 2,266,000 yen (about US$15,900).

Fukai was art director on the project in 1971. The film debuted in Japan in 1973. This will be the 89-year-old artist's first art book. The book will contain art based on the film data for the film's recent 4K remastered version. If the crowdfunding campaign succeeds, Fukai plans to launch a second crowdfunding campaign for a second art book for the film.

Discotek licensed the film, and released it on a new 4K transfer on a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc on May 28, with a new HDR grade as well as a 1080p SDR version. The company describes the story:

Jeanne had hoped that her wedding day would be a dream—a shining light through the oppressive fog of Dark Age France. Yet, that fantasy was horrifically ripped apart on her wedding night. While trying to survive in her waking nightmare, Jeanne encounters an impish apparition who offers to grant her power beyond her wildest wishes. But as the belladonna's influence grows, so does the tragedy lying in wait to trample her. The great Eiichi Yamamoto weaves a tapestry of harrowing horrors and psychedelically sexual visions in the final entry of Mushi Production's Animerama trilogy.

Cinelicious Pics previously distributed the film in English. The company restored the film in 4K resolution from its original 35mm negative in 2014, and later distributed it in theaters, on home video, and on demand. The film is available for streaming on Tubi TV, Vudu, and Prime Video.

The film had not been widely released in the United States before, although it was screened in Los Angeles in 2009 and at Montreal's Fantasia Fest in 2013. The film screened in 2015 at the Japan Cuts film festival in New York and at the Fantastic Fest film festival in Texas.

Osamu Tezuka produced the film, and his long-time creative partner Eiichi Yamamoto (Star Blazers scriptwriter, Astro Boy: Hero of Space) wrote and directed the film at Mushi Productions. Masahiko Satoh (Grave of the Fireflies, The Fantastic Adventures of Unico) composed the film's soundtrack.

Sources: Motion Gallery, Comic Natalie