Evil Does Not Exist

Aku wa Sonzai Shinai

Director: Ryūsuke Hamaguchi
Country: Japan

2023 | 106 min. | Japanese
Subtitles: English, German
FSK | Nicht geprüft / No clearance (18+)

Cast_ Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani Screenplay_ Ryūsuke Hamaguchi Camera_ Yoshio Kitagawa Producer_ Satoshi Takata Rights_ Pandora Film Verleih

Japanese Oscar winner Ryūsuke Hamaguchi follows up his arthouse hit ›Drive My Car‹ with another quiet but immensely effective film. In Venice, it won the Grand Jury Prize.

Isolated and secluded, single father Takumi and his daughter live in the forest. Just like the inhabitants of the nearby village, the two lead a life in harmony with nature. But one day, employees of a company from Tokyo appear. They want to build a nearby glamping site for people from the city. Immediately, Takumi and the villagers realize what a terrible impact this project would have on the area’s ecosystem and water supply. In order to win over the village, the company asks Takumi, of all people, to work for them as a consultant. - Such synopses, however, are always inadequate for describing Hamaguchi’s films. To grasp for ourselves what these films are truly about, we viewers have to experience their inner calm and the magisterial, unobtrusive poetry of their images first-hand.

Director

Ryūsuke Hamaguchi is from Kanagawa Prefecture and studied film at Tokyo University of the Arts. His films, many of which have remarkably long running times, include a documentary trilogy about the 2011 earthquake as well as the multi-award-winning, five-hour feature ›Happy Hour‹.

Trailer

Screenings

  • AvailableMonday 20.11.202317:30with GuestsMannheimMACineplex (Saal 3)
  • Sold outThursday 23.11.202317:30MannheimMACinema Quadrat
  • Sold outFriday 24.11.202320:45HeidelbergHDKarlstorkino