Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) 4K Restoration
- Today, Jun 26
Today, Jun 26 @ 8:00 pm: This presentation is in Japanese language with English subtitles.
Director: Mamoru Oshii Run Time: 115 min. Rating: PG-13 Release Year: 2004
Starring: Akio Otsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Koichi Yamadera, Tamio Ohki, Yutaka Nakano
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles; select screenings dubbed in English
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) returns with screenings of the 4K Restoration followed by a short documentary about the making of the film.
About the film:
First released in 2004, the film is director Oshii’s follow up to his epoch-making 1995 feature Ghost in the Shell, based on the comic series created by Shirow Masamune. Imagined as a standalone return to the world of Ghost in the Shell, the story is a cyberpunk mystery centered on the character Batou from the original film. Featuring mind-bending visuals that demanded five years in production, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) celebrated its international debut in competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, thus becoming the first and only anime in history to compete for the Palme d’Or.
“The elegance, attention to detail, the invention and expertise all ensure that the movie’s never less than visually breathtaking.”
—Geoff Andrew, Time Out
In the year 2032, the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. A string of murders perpetrated by a prototype android model has drawn the attention of Public Security Section 9, a unit specializing in counter cyber-terrorism. With none of the victims’ families pressing charges, suspicions arise regarding the nature of the androids and their production company. In the course of the investigation, the almost entirely cyber-bodied agent Batou, and his still human partner Togusa embark on a journey through a technological dystopia, taking on ferocious Yakuza thugs, devious hackers, government bureaucrats, and corporate criminals to uncover the shocking truth behind the crime.
About the filmmaker:
Mamoru Oshii is an influential Japanese filmmaker known for writing and directing thought-provoking and visually stunning animated features, original video anime (OVA), television anime series, and live-action films. His work on the neo-noir cyberpunk thriller Ghost in the Shell (1995) led him to international critical and commercial success, and his sequel Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
His other work includes directing the first ever OVA, Dallos (1983), the Urusei Yatsura series and films, the surreal OVA Angel’s Egg (1985), multiple Patlabor movies, and The Sky Crawlers (2008), which competed for the Golden Lion in the Venice Film Festival. He also wrote the manga Kerberos Panzer Cop (1988–2000) and its feature film adaptation Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999), the basis for the live action film Illang: The Wolf Brigade (2018).
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