Barbican UK Anime Season Continues

Date: 2007 May 29 18:18

Posted by Joe

We've just got back from the Barbican in London and seen the fantastic Satoshi Kon movie, Paprika, introduced by anime expert Helen McCarthy. We highly recommend the next two events just to hear Helen's insight on the subjects. On 26 June 2007 they'll be showing plenty of Guyver, while on 31 July 2007 they'll be showing a Production I.G. double bill of Le Chevalier D'Eon and Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society.

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barbican film

Japanimation

June/July 2007

www.barbican.org.uk/film Cinema Hotline: 0845 120 7527

Barbican Film continues its Japanimation series this June and July with two exclusive events, both introduced by anime expert and co-author of The Anime Encyclopaedia Helen McCarthy.

Guyver Fest + Guyver: The Bio-Booster Armour - Days of Future Past (Japan 2005 Dir. Katsuhito Akiyama, 120min) - Tuesday 26 June, 8.15pm

Exploring the world of the Guyver, this event looks at the evolution of the cyborg superhero since its debut in Tokuma Shoten's Shonen Captain magazine in 1985. Created by manga artist Yoshiki Takaya, the Guyver has taken on a life of its own over the years, having appeared in various guises in feature films, television and live action versions of its story. But what is the secret of this cyborg's success? Through an introduction and screenings, Helen McCarthy explores the ongoing fascination with the Guyver mythology.

Ghosts and Musketeers – A Celebration of 20 Years of Production IG + Le Chevalier D'Eon (Japan 2006 Dir. Kazuhiro Furuhashi 100 min.) + Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (Japan 2006 Dir. Kenji Kamiyama 108 min.) - Tuesday 31 July, 6.30pm

A powerhouse in the industry, the anime studio and production outfit Production IG played a crucial role in the digital animation revolution that so massively altered the creation and business of anime. A discussion of the company's impact is followed by a special double bill of their latest works:

Le Chevalier D'Eon

Barbican Film showcases four episodes of this 24-part anime TV series based on Tow Ubukata's historical fantasy novel of the same name. The story takes place in Paris in 1742, pre-revolution and under the reign of King Louis XV, where D'Eon works as a member of the secret police. During an investigation into a spate of disappearances of young women, D'Eon's sister is found dead in the Seine, sparking him to pursue the case even further. What unfolds is a history of evil that casts a shadow over both the palaces of kings and the dark alleys of Europe.

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Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society

At $3.2 million Ghost in the Shell is one of the most expensive anime TV movies ever made, its high production values aiming to entice a more mainstream audience in the west. The film is set in 2034, where people not only exist alongside cyborgs but have become part machine themselves and almost everyone is hardwired to the internet. But when criminal called The Puppeteer threatens to hack into people and take over their soul (the 'ghost' of the title), a Special Forces unit must intervene without falling prey themselves to the Puppeteer's mind-altering powers.

www.barbican.org.uk/film Cinema Hotline: 0845 120 7527

Ticket prices:

Adults: £7.00/£6.00 concession