Akira (4K Restoration)

Katsuhiro Otomo – Japan, 1988 – 124 minutes – language spoken: Japanese, with Dutch subtitles

In July 1988, a new type of weapon of mass destruction was used in Japan’s Kanto region, triggering World War III. Thirty-one years later, in 2019, preparations are underway for the upcoming Olympic Games, offering brief glimpses of the former glory of Neo-Tokyo, a vast megalopolis built on Tokyo Bay. Kaneda, the leader of a bōsōzoku biker gang, leaves a trail of destruction in his wake as he rides through the city’s desolate streets. One evening, Tetsuo, a member of the gang, crashes into a strange test subject from a secret government experiment. Stunned, Kaneda and the rest of the gang watch as Tetsuo and the mysterious boy are taken away to a military laboratory. In an attempt to rescue Tetsuo, Kaneda breaks into the facility and discovers that his friend has developed supernatural powers. Meanwhile, a test subject in the laboratory’s special nursery predicts the awakening of the top-secret Akira. Tetsuo puts his new-found powers to the test as he journeys into the underground world where Akira slumbers…

Rediscover this cult classic on the big screen in a stunning 4K restoration.

Katsuhiro Otomo – Japan, 1988 – 124 minutes – language spoken: Japanese, with Dutch subtitles

Groundbreaking Japanese animated cyberpunk action film from 1988 – a deeply surreal nightmare about destruction and rebirth. A cult classic, now re-released in 4K.

In July 1988, a new type of weapon of mass destruction was used in Japan’s Kanto region, triggering World War III. Thirty-one years later, in 2019, preparations are underway for the upcoming Olympic Games, offering brief glimpses of the former glory of Neo-Tokyo, a vast megalopolis built on Tokyo Bay. Kaneda, the leader of a bōsōzoku biker gang, leaves a trail of destruction in his wake as he rides through the city’s desolate streets. One evening, Tetsuo, a member of the gang, crashes into a strange test subject from a secret government experiment. Stunned, Kaneda and the rest of the gang watch as Tetsuo and the mysterious boy are taken away to a military laboratory. In an attempt to rescue Tetsuo, Kaneda breaks into the facility and discovers that his friend has developed supernatural powers. Meanwhile, a test subject in the laboratory’s special nursery predicts the awakening of the top-secret Akira. Tetsuo puts his new-found powers to the test as he journeys into the underground world where Akira slumbers…

Rediscover this cult classic on the big screen in a stunning 4K restoration.