Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii to give intro at premiere of Sky Crawlers

This Friday, December 12th, New York-Tokyo and the Film Society of Lincoln Center present the New York premiere of director Mamoru Oshii’s (Ghost in the Shell, PatLabor: The Mobile Police) latest film, The Sky Crawlers, which is described as an engaging combination of philosophy and science fiction, featuring brilliantly executed aerial combat sequences. Oshii sees this film as a message to the youth of the world and will be giving a video introduction for the screenings. Animation work on the new feature is by Production I.G., which has done groundbreaking art for the animated sequences in Kill Bill Volume One and Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell. The Sky Crawlers was also nominated for the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

More about The Sky Crawlers
The story takes place in another possible ‘now’ – a world that has eradicated war and finally attained peace. However, this prolonged state of peace created demand for a new kind of war. A conflict happening elsewhere, that could be seen on TV or read in the papers – in order to get a feeling of reality.

Private war contractors enlist fighter pilots to perform their services in an endless “war as entertainment.” They call these pilots Kildren. Innocent-looking teenagers, Kildren never age into adulthood, and live in a state of eternal adolescence until the day they drift gracefully through the endless skies.

One day, pilot Yuichi arrives to his newly assigned airbase. He has only vague memory of his past. The only two things he recalls are that he is a Kildren and how to operate a fighter plane. A woman is keeping an eye on Yuichi. She is Suito, the base commander. A Kildren herself, Suito behaves as if she’s been waiting to meet Yuichi for a long time. Perplexed, Yuichi is nevertheless gradually attracted by her.

All pilots at the base have to confront the most invincible enemy ace, known as Teacher. His trademark is a black jaguar painted on the nose of his plane. It is said that if you run into him up in the sky, you don’t come back to tell your friends. Who really is the Teacher? What does Suito know about Yuichi’s past? What are the secrets behind the Kildren?

Screenings will take place this Friday, December 12, 2008, at 7 PM and 9:30 PM, at the Walter Reade Theaters at Lincoln Center, 165 West 65th Street, New York City, New York.

Get additional information and purchase tickets in advance at www.newyork-tokyo.com/wp/theskycrawlers.