AFI Dallas International Film Festival - ‘Vexille’

In the Victory Plaza

(Japan, 2007, 110 mins)
In Japananese with English subtitles

Directed By: Sori

The year is 2077. Japan has isolated itself from the rest of the world, opposing a United Nations treaty that restricts areas of advanced research in biotechnology. The country’s borders have been closed and a sophisticated magnetic shield has blocked communication and satellite surveillance. Life in Japan has become a mystery.

Following the discovery of a “human” limb with flesh replaced by a form of bio-metal, S.W.O.R.D., a United States Special Forces unit that polices treaty violations, is dispatched to infiltrate Japan. The unit, which is led by female commander Vexille, teams with an underground rebel force in Tokyo. The revelation of Japan’s new reality shakes Vexille.

Vexille director Fumihiko Sori is a visual-effects specialist who made his directorial debut with the 2002 smash Ping Pong and who was producer and VFX director on the groundbreaking Appleseed. With Vexille, he reaches new levels of excellence in the world of animated art, placing expressive characters against a landscape of stunning vistas.

Information from the AFI website