Controversial Anime Double-Feature (11/28)

 (Virtual) (Doors open 8pm EST-12:30 am EST)

Few anime films captured the predatory world of male-dominated Japan from a female perspective, than these 2 anime classics drawing controversy worldwide! Neither were officially banned in Japan , but both received extensive edits, condemnation, & were outlawed in a few countries…. So what better reason to celebrate both films in the Write Brain Theater!

Playing uncut versions of both films the 1st film of the night feels more like a moving painting than an anime, digging beneath the surface of both trauma & the circumstances of sexual violence of poor women in a male-dominated capitalist culture. When a peasant woman is gang raped, she is forced to make a deal with the devil to get her revenge. This film would open the door for a new wave of anime capturing more adult & psychological themes leading the way for the 2nd film of the night.

Crafted by one of the biggest names in Anime,  this film’s legacy spread to live-action narrative films, with American director Darren Aronofsky borrowing shots from “Requiem For A Dream”. Analyzing the problematic aspects of obscessive fan culture, a pop star’s falls into a world of nightmarish hallucinations, when she is stalked by an obsessed fan.

This double feature is hosted by Kevin Ronca w/ a panel after of female critics, animators, & artists critiquing & examining its legacy through a feminist lens.