Ghost in the Shell

press release:

SAT., 9/17, 7 p.m. GHOST IN THE SHELL (KÔKAKU KIDÔTAI)

Japan | 1995 | DCP | 83 min. | Japanese with English subtitles

Director: Mamoru Oshii

The year is 2029. A vast electronic network covers the planet, accessible only to humans who have undergone cybernetic body augmentations and become “shells.” When a dangerous hacker named the Puppet Master begins to infiltrate the network and “ghost hack” citizens, Major Motoko Kusanagi is sent to uncover the identity and motives of this mysterious new foe. This complex and visually stunning thriller has served as inspiration for a number of films including The Matrix.

Heroines of Anime series: Spanning multiple filmmakers, genres, and decades, this series showcases several of the most unforgettable female lead roles in Japanese animated cinema. From Motoko Kusanagi’s philosophical exploration of sexuality and gender identity in Ghost in the Shell to Nausciaä’s difficult wartime decisions as princess in Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, these leading women defy genre conventions in complex, strong-willed, and autonomous roles. This series is also home to the Wisconsin premiere of Eiichi Yamamoto’s Belladonna of Sadness, a 1973 film which first screened at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival but has remained unavailable in the United States until a 4K digital restoration was completed in 2015. An erotic spectacle of breathtaking watercolor visuals accompanied by a 1970s psych rock soundtrack, this unseen masterpiece is a Japanese animated movie like no other. Heroines of Anime was curated by UW student and WUD Film programmer James LaPierre with the Cinematheque’s Jim Healy.