Asura

Anime from Hell
North American Premiere
Co-presented with The New York Asian Film Festival

In 15th-century Kyoto, at the foot of a wrecked shrine, a beast is born in fire and destruction. Plunged into an age of war, chaos and starvation, and taught to eat human flesh by the madwoman who gave birth to him, he is called "Asura," for the warlike Buddhist spirit, or "anti-god." Based on George Akiyama’s legendary banned manga, Asura is a brutal anti-Miyazaki movie about the depths we’ll sink to in the worst of times. Lensed by anime veteran Keiichi Sato and featuring two legendary Japanese voice actresses, Masako Nozawa (Dragonball and Galaxy Express 999) and Megumi Hayashibara (Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion), it is, like its creator, harsh, uncompromising and relentless. But underneath the scars it has a battered, bleeding, burning human heart.

Japan. 2012. 75 min., HD Cam SR, feature animation film in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Keiichi Sato. With the voices of Somegoro Ichikawa, Rie Miyazawa, Koji Okura, Sarutoki Minagawa.

18+ This film is unrated, but may only be viewed by persons 18 years of age or older.

Part of JAPAN CUTS 2012

TICKETS
$12/$9 Japan Society members, seniors and students

Buy Tickets Online or call the Japan Society Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.