Picnic (1996 film)
Picnic is a 1996 Japanese film directed by Shunji Iwai. The film was shot in 1994, but not released until 1996.
| Picnic | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Shunji Iwai |
| Produced by | Fuji TV |
| Written by | Shunji Iwai |
| Starring | Chara Tadanobu Asano Koichi Hashizume Kenji Kohashi |
| Music by | Remedios |
| Distributed by | Ace Pictures Nippon Herald Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 68 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Coco, Tsumuji and Satoru, three mental asylum patients, want to see the world, but are not allowed outside walls of the asylum. Therefore, they start to explore the world by walking on the wall, and soon become more engaged with the outside world. They believe that as long as they don't go beyond the wall, they are not violating rules of the institution. When Coco and Tsumuji walk near a church, they meet a priest who gives them a Bible, hoping to convert them to Christianity. Misinterpretating a portion of the text, they think that the end of the world is near. Excited by the impending apocalypse, they head out on another trip into the outside world, seeking a place to have a picnic and watch the final event.
Cast
- Chara as Coco, who killed her twin sister Kiki in a "who is fake"-game; she likes ravens and wears black feathers. She believes that the world started when she was born and will end when she dies.
- Tadanobu Asano as Tsumuji, who killed a teacher who tormented him, has hallucinations of this teacher, and wants the world to end soon.
- Koichi Hashizume as Satoru, friend of Tsumuji. He has a crush on Coco.
- Fujiko Yamamoto as Nurse.
- Kazue Itoh as Doctor.
- Keiichi Suzuki as Pastor.
Awards
- 1996 Berlin International Film Festival - Forum of new cinema Prize of the Readers of the Berliner Zeitung