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is a live-action film directed by Hideaki Anno
.
The screenplay
is an adaption by Hideaki Anno and Ayako Fujitani
of Fujitani's novella Touhimu, which was inspired by an emotionally difficult time spent in Los Angeles during her work in her father's 1998 film, The Patriot
.
The film tells the story of a director, played by independent filmmaker Shunji Iwai
, who meets an odd young woman, played by Ayako Fujitani
, who wrote the novella Tohimu the film is based upon. The story takes place over a period of 33 days.
But as the days go by, it appears that the woman has little touch with reality and is constantly escaping into a fantasy world, while the Director himself is a former anime
director who is seeking to do a "real film" and embrace reality. The two eventually fall in love.
In the end, the Director confronts the Woman and her mother, allowing the Woman to make the first steps into the real world. The films ends with the Girl circling December 7 as her real birthday and the words "beyond the 33rd day: unknown".
films can be construed the film's strongly contrasted psychological characters, the use of animation and drawings to portray the Woman's inner thoughts, the decision to change the character of the Director's occupation from shopkeeper as in the original novella to director, and the outlook of the character of the Director:
, an offshoot of Studio Ghibli
run its president Toshio Suzuki. It was given a première at the Tokyo
Photography Museum in Ebisu Garden Place on December 7, 2000.
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,...
.
The screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
is an adaption by Hideaki Anno and Ayako Fujitani
Ayako Fujitani
Ayako Fujitani is a writer and actress. She is fluent in English and Japanese.-Early life:...
of Fujitani's novella Touhimu, which was inspired by an emotionally difficult time spent in Los Angeles during her work in her father's 1998 film, The Patriot
The Patriot (1998 film)
The Patriot is a 1998 action film loosely based on the novel, The Last Canadian by William C. Heine. The film stars Steven Seagal, Gallard Sartain, L.Q. Jones, Whitney Yellow Robe, and Camilla Belle. It was directed by Dean Semler, written by M. Sussman, and produced by Patrick Choi, Nile Niami,...
.
The film tells the story of a director, played by independent filmmaker Shunji Iwai
Shunji Iwai
is a Japanese film director/video artist, writer and documentarian.-Life and career:Iwai was born in Sendai, Japan, Miyagi prefecture. He attended Yokohama National University, graduating in 1987....
, who meets an odd young woman, played by Ayako Fujitani
Ayako Fujitani
Ayako Fujitani is a writer and actress. She is fluent in English and Japanese.-Early life:...
, who wrote the novella Tohimu the film is based upon. The story takes place over a period of 33 days.
Story
The film follows a young Director returning to his hometown, a suburb of a larger Japanese city, and an eccentric young girl he meets, whose quirks include saying "tomorrow is my birthday" every day and wearing very unusual clothing.But as the days go by, it appears that the woman has little touch with reality and is constantly escaping into a fantasy world, while the Director himself is a former anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
director who is seeking to do a "real film" and embrace reality. The two eventually fall in love.
In the end, the Director confronts the Woman and her mother, allowing the Woman to make the first steps into the real world. The films ends with the Girl circling December 7 as her real birthday and the words "beyond the 33rd day: unknown".
Analysis
Hideaki Anno's previous relationship to anime and live actionLive action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
films can be construed the film's strongly contrasted psychological characters, the use of animation and drawings to portray the Woman's inner thoughts, the decision to change the character of the Director's occupation from shopkeeper as in the original novella to director, and the outlook of the character of the Director:
"Images, especially animation, simply embody our personal and collective fantasies, manipulating selected information, and fictional constructs even live-action film, recording actuality, does not correspond to reality conversely, reality, co-opted by fiction, loses its value. 'The inversion of reality and fiction.' None of this matters to me anymore. My consciousness, my reality, my subject, all converge in her. Certainly, she longs to escape into fantasy. Certainly, I long to escape from fantasy." (29:54-30:36)
Release
The film was released by Studio KajinoStudio Kajino
Studio Kajino is a subsidiary of Japanese production company Studio Ghibli. It was created prior to 2000 to handle live action films for the studio which is otherwise known for its animation projects, including the award-winning Spirited Away...
, an offshoot of Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation and film studio founded in June 1985. The company's logo features the character Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro...
run its president Toshio Suzuki. It was given a première at the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
Photography Museum in Ebisu Garden Place on December 7, 2000.