Ritual

Ritual (式日, 2000) is Hideaki Anno's Japanese art drama, available to watch online on iFILM. A burnt-out film director drifts back to his hometown, drained of energy and ideas. There he crosses paths with an odd young woman who repeats the same line every single day: "Tomorrow is my birthday."

Their connection builds slowly and awkwardly. The man tries to reach her through the lens of his video camera, filming her, questioning her, hunting for meaning in her daily ritual. Little by little it surfaces that the repetition hides childhood wounds and a deep fear of growing up. Filmmaker Shunji Iwai takes the lead male role, and much of the picture rests on the quiet exchange between two lonely people.

Anno made Ritual right after Evangelion, and the same author shows through — fixated on depression, isolation, and the struggle to truly reach another person. At 128 minutes, it's meditative, visually dense work for lovers of contemplative Japanese drama. Stream Ritual (2000) online on iFILM.