Art of the Game: Ukiyo-E Heroes [Blu-ray]

A journey of discovery into how a Canadian craftsman and an American designer, with a father and son generation gap, team up to revive the ancient art of Japanese woodblock prints (Ukiyo-e) by juxtaposing traditional art with pop culture icons: video game heroes such as Super Mario and Pokémon. Now they are making a new print inspired from a cult hit game Shadow of the Colossus. Ukiyo-e: The traditional art form known worldwide as the “Face of Japan” has over several hundred years inspired Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso to create their masterpieces. Today, there are less than 10 remaining craftsmen in Japan. We follow the making-of of their new print and witness the miraculous collaboration of the two contrasting artists: old-school and new-school, artisanal and digital, who need each other to create inspirational for a global audience. We also feature iconic Japanese craftsmen who work with them, including Ichibei Iwano, who is the 8th generation handmade Japanese paper grand master.