Paprika

Wednesday, October 13th - Feature Presentation
A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO SATOSHI KON                                         
 

Paprika (Japan, 2006; 90min.)
Director: Satoshi Kon

Satoshi Kon passed away on August 24th, 2010, at the age of 46. He was hailed as one of Japan’s greatest anime directors of all time. His short yet potent career has flashed out a niche in the anime world that galvanizes mind-blowing imagery with a twist of madness. His debut film Perfect Blue (1997), was described by some as “Hitchcock does anime”. His last completed feature Paprika epitomizes his visual and psychological sophistication as he takes us into the realm of dreams in contemporary Japanese life. In remembrance and celebration of Satoshi Kon’s inspiring life, we are presenting the film to you in a glorious 35mm print. If you’ve seen Inception, whether you loved it or hated it, Paprika will give you an elevated experience. We like to call it “Inception on acid.”

“One of the current masters of Japanese anime and one of Japan’s best working filmmakers in any genre” – Dave Kehr, The New York Times

"Easily the most interesting anime director working today whose name isn't Hayao Miyazaki, Kon specializes in envelope-pushing existential toons that take place in the nether regions of human consciousness. Check out his brief but oh-so-potent filmography to date." - Time Out New York

    
Paprika - Animated Feature

In this Japanese anime epic, humanity's last bastion of privacy has finally been infiltrated by technology, the world of our dreams. The story centers on a new invention called the DC-Mini. With this revolutionary device, psychiatrists are now able to enter a patient's dreams in a therapeutic setting. But when an unknown assailant steals all of the devices, using them to enter people’s minds enacting mind control, chaos ensues. Dreams begin to bleed into reality, and the thin line between the conscious and the unconscious begins to blur.