KŪKAI

Plot

In 804 AD, Kūkai traveled to Tang China with the Japanese diplomatic mission to study under Master Huiguo, the seventh patriarch of Tang Esoteric Buddhism. After returning to Japan, his knowledge and practices went on to influence religion, literature, calligraphy, architecture, and education, shaping religious practice, artistic tradition, and intellectual life across East Asia for more than 1,250 years. Rooted in rigorous historical research, location-based storytelling, documentary techniques, cinematic reconstruction, and CG technology, the film recreates Kūkai’s world and revisits the Tang-era cultural exchange that transmitted ideas, philosophy, and spiritual traditions across East Asia. Through Kūkai’s journey, the documentary explores enduring themes of faith, learning, compassion, and cultural exchange, inviting timely conversations on ethical leadership, education, mental well-being, and intercultural dialogue in today’s increasingly interconnected world.

About KŪKAI

Kūkai (also KŪKAI, in Chinese: 空海) is a Chinese docudrama film about the Buddhist monk Kūkai (774–835), who travelled from Japan to China, premiered in Los Angeles in 2026. The film was directed by Yue Ye. The modern classical and film composer Zou Ye was commissioned by Yue Yongde to write the music for the film, and a concert of the music was performed by the London Philharmonic Choir at the Royal Festival Hall in London, conducted by Takuo Yuasa on 30 January 2026. Preview screenings were held in Oxford and London, UK, in March 2026. The film premiered in Los Angeles, California, USA, on 30 July 2026, at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. The First International Forum on Inner Cultivation and Global Responsibility was organised by the creative team behind the film and co-organized with Xingyu Culture. It was held in Silicon Valley, in association with the premiere of the film, and explored spiritual renewal and technology for good in the age of Artificial Intelligence. The film itself used 3D computer animation in its creation, including the character of Kūkai himself.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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