Spirit World (film)

Spirit World (French: *Yōkai le monde des esprits*) is a 2024 fantasy drama directed by Eric Khoo. Catherine Deneuve plays Claire Emery, a celebrated singer who travels to Japan for what will be her final concert—a sold-out show. As the performance ends, so does her life on Earth. The film is a co-production between France, Japan, and Singapore, and it closed the 29th Busan International Film Festival on October 11, 2024.

The cast includes Catherine Deneuve as Claire Emery, Masaaki Sakai as Sabeenan Satheeskumar, along with Denden, Yutaka Takenouchi, and Jun Fubuki.

Based on an original screenplay, the film was produced through a three-way partnership involving companies from Singapore, Japan, and France, with financial support from Singaporean authorities. Filming began in January 2024 in Takasaki, an old town on Honshu Island between Tokyo and Kyoto, where production lasted ten days before moving to other locations.

*Spirit World* premiered as the closing film of the 29th Busan International Film Festival on October 11, 2024. It also competed for Best Film in the Progressive Cinema Competition at the 19th Rome Film Festival, screening on October 22, 2024. The film was shown in the Gala Selection of the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival on October 29, 2024, and opened the Horizon section at the 35th Singapore International Film Festival on November 30, 2024. It was released in French theaters by ARP Sélection on February 26, 2025. Paris-based sales company Goodfellas acquired international rights and launched the film at the European Film Market. The film also screened in the Features section of the 72nd Sydney Film Festival on June 6, 2025, and in the International Perspective program of the São Paulo International Film Festival on October 21, 2025.

In a review for *Screen Daily*, Allan Hunter described the film as "a simple, sentimental tale with a tendency towards inoffensive whimsy." He noted that the growing focus on the character Hayato and his issues pushes Claire and Yuzo to the sidelines, but ultimately allows Khoo to craft "a more rounded tale of loss, love and just how precious a thing life can be."