Millennium Actress

87 mins • PG

Showings

Lark Theater Sat, Oct 26, 2019 8:00 PM
Film Info
Event Type:Anime | No Passes
Release Year:2001
Rating:PG
Genre:Anime | Romance | Drama
Production Country:Japan
Original Langauge:Japanese
Subtitles:English
Cast/Crew Info
Director:Satoshi Kon
Cast:Miyoko Shôji | Mami Koyama | Fumiko Orikasa | Shouzou Iizuka | Masaya Onosaka

Description

MILLENNIUM ACTRESS

Experience the gorgeous new restoration of what many believe to be
Satoshi Kon's (Perfect Blue, Paprika) greatest work, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS.


At the turn of the millennium, Ginei Studio's dilapidated buildings are set to be demolished. Ex-employee and filmmaker Genya Tachibana decides to honor this occasion with a commemorative documentary about the company's star actress: Chiyoko Fujiwara, the reclusive sweetheart of Shouwa Era cinema. Having finally obtained permission to interview the retired starlet, an enamored Genya drags along cynical cameraman Kyouji Ida to meet her, ready to put his lifelong idol back in the spotlight once more.

Hidden in this secluded mountain retreat is a thousand years of history condensed into one lifetime, waiting to be narrated. Chiyoko's recollections take them on an illusionary journey through Japanese cinematic history that transcends the boundaries of reality; the saga of her acting career intertwines with her filmography, the actors in her life blend seamlessly with the characters on screen, and the present melds with the past. Though the actress may have retired at the height of her career 30 years ago, the curtain on her life's stage has yet to fall.

"Disguises itself as a romance, but it's really a loving homage to Japanese history, as well as a comment on the nature of filmmaking and films. "
Toronto Star


"It is a lovely Valentine to the golden age of Japanese filmmaking and an era of gentler, deeper feelings. "
San Francisco Chronicle