Ghost in the Shell
The gifted Japanese voice actress Atsuko Tanaka passed away in August 2024, just days after Ghost in the Shell packed the house in our summer Science Fiction program. To pay tribute to her legacy, we are re-screening the film that cemented her iconic role as Motoko Kusanagi, a character she went on to embody for nearly 30 years across the franchise.
In the 2030s, a cybercriminal nicknamed the “Puppet Master” is able to control the human mind via the Internet of the future. Elite policewoman Kusanagi discovers that this cybercriminal is none other than an artificial intelligence that has reached the stage of consciousness, and is determined to engender a new form of life.
Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984), Angel's Egg (1985), Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993), and Ghost in the Shell (1995). He also holds the distinction of having created the first ever OVA (Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats), Dallos in 1983. As a writer, he has worked as a screenwriter, and occasionally as a manga writer and novelist. His most notable works as a writer include the manga Kerberos Panzer Cop (1988–2000) and its feature film adaptation Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999). For his work, Oshii has received and been nominated for numerous awards, including the Palme d'or and the Golden Lion. He has also attracted praise from many directors, including James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and The Wachowskis, especially for his work on Ghost in the Shell.
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