Small strains that shake our lives. Ryusuke Hamaguchi's new film "Evil Does Not Exist" is now on view. Don't miss the session with music by Eiko Ishibashi.

Many people, not only movie buffs, must know his name. Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi won the Silver Lion (Grand Prix of the Jury) at the 80th Venice International Film Festival last year, and his films have been grand slam winners at the three major film festivals, Cannes Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival.

After "Drive My Car" (2021), he is now one of the world's most popular directors, and his new film "Evil Does Not Exist" has just been released.

story
Mizubiki-cho , Nagano Prefecture. Located on a plateau rich in nature and close to Tokyo, the town is developing very slowly with an increasing number of immigrants. Takumi (Hitoshi Omiga) and his daughter Hana (Rei Nishikawa), who have lived there for generations, lead a modest life surrounded by nature, drawing water and chopping wood. One day, however, plans are made to build a glamping site near where they live. The project was planned with a government subsidy by an entertainment agency in the wake of the Corona disaster, but the town is upset by the sloppy plan that could pollute the forest environment and the town's water supply, and the aftermath affects the lives of the Takumi and their friends.

Three years have passed since the last film. The birth of the new film was triggered by an offer from singer/songwriter/composer Eiko Ishibashi to Director Hamaguchi to produce a video.

Speaking of Mr. Ishibashi, he sang a song in the film "Drive My Car," and the two hit it off and continued to communicate with each other after that, leading to this project. As Hamaguchi said, "We first complete a film using conventional production methods, and then create the requested live performance video," they completed the feature film "Evil Does Not Exist" and then produced the silent film "GIFT" for Ms. Ishibashi's live performance.

The two works were created in an unusual way. A session of music and video was held, providing an opportunity to push the possibilities of both.

Hitoshi Omiga, who initially participated in the film as a staff member, was selected to play the lead role. Rei Nishikawa, a newcomer who has left a strong impression in the role of the daughter, and Tatsushi Kosaka and Sayiku Shibuya, who are key players in the story, will play the supporting roles.

The story is about a small strain that begins to appear in a peaceful everyday life, and a sense of tension begins to build up. You will find yourself immersed in the world of the film without realizing it. It is a film that no one who watches it will be able to remain unaffected by.

It is already open to the public. However, in order to promote mini-theaters, the film will be shown in a limited number of theaters, according to Director Hamaguchi's own wishes. . Please check in advance and be sure to come see the film.