Last month, Ryusuke Hamaguchi premiered “Evil Does Not Exist” at Venice. The film now has a trailer. Janus Films have not set up a release date just yet. There are rumors that it’ll be released in early 2024.
Apparently, there was a block of Venice jurors who fought hard for Hamaguchi’s film to win the Golden Lion over Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things.” Alas, it didn’t prevail, ending up with the Grand Jury Prize (Second Place) instead.
A second film from Hamaguchi, this one titled “Gift,” will debut at Belgium’s Film Fest Gent this month, with a live score by Eiko Ishibashi. It turns out that this followup film was developed at the same time as “Evil Does Not Exist,” which “takes a different approach to the same footage and scenario”. Both films have practically the same synopsis, but have been edited differently:
Set in Mizubiki Village in Nagano, a town located on a plateau rich in nature not so far from Tokyo. The number of immigrants is on the rise, with very gradual development. Takumi and his daughter Hana, who have lived there for generations, lead a modest life, following the cycle of nature. One day, a plan is hatched to build a glamping site near Takumi’s house: an entertainment agency, which has fallen into financial difficulties due to the COVID disaster, has obtained a government subsidy and plans to set up a glamping site. However, the discovery that they intend to discharge sewage into the village water source causes unrest in the village, and the aftermath affects Takumi’s life as well.
This is Hamaguchi’s follow-up to his 2021 one-two punch of “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” and “Drive My Car.” The latter was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, at the 94th Academy Awards. It also won Best International Feature.