@Evil Does Not Exist
Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired the North American distribution rights to Evil Does Not Exist, a new feature by Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Hamaguchi’s Oscar-winning 2021 film Drive My Car had also been a Sideshow/Janus property.
In announcing the deal, the two distributors said in a joint statement: “Hamaguchi is a true artist in every sense of the word, and we are so excited to be reuniting with him for Evil Does Not Exist. Releasing Drive My Car was the honor of a lifetime, and we know audiences will embrace his new powerful cinematic experience as they did his previous work.”
Earning more than $2 million, Drive My Car became one of the highest-grossing foreign films in North America. It also broke new ground at the Oscars as the first Japanese film to be nominated for a Best Picture. It also garnered nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay while winning the trophy in the Best International Feature category.
Evil Does Not Exist will have its world premiere at the upcoming 2023 Venice Film Festival. It will also be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and at the New York Film Festival.
The new film narrates a story of ordinary Japanese villagers caught up in an ecological crisis. According to the movie’s official synopsis: “The film follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. Like generations before them, they live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping [luxury camping] site near Takumi’s house, offering city residents a comfortable escape to nature.”
The synopsis continues: “When two representatives of the glamping company arrive in the village to hold a meeting, it becomes clear that the project will have a negative impact on the local water supply, causing unrest. The company’s plans endanger both the ecological balance of the area, and the local people’s way of life, and its aftermath affects Takumi’s life deeply.
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Hamaguchi wrote and directed Evil Does Not Exist, which was produced by Satoshi Takata. It It stars Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, and Ayaka Shibutani.
Music was composed by Ishibashi Eiko, who had also worked with Hamaguchi on Drive My Car.
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