If you’ve heard the name Mamoru Oshii, then you’re probably aware of his most famous work, 1995’s Ghost in the Shell. However, you may not be familiar with this animated cult classic from before his rise to fame, 1985’s Angel’s Egg. The film follows the unnamed characters Girl and Boy as they traverse a desolate, dreamlike landscape. All the while, Girl is protecting a large egg, believing it may hatch into an angel. At just 71 minutes, the film is dense with symbolism. Biomechanical war machines, Christian mythology, existential thought, surrealism and environmentalism are just a few concepts and aesthetics the film explores while building to an unforgettable journey that will pull you in close. Yoshihiro Kanno’s score is enthralling, lending the film a transcendental quality that many other animated projects lack. There’s so much more to Oshii’s early masterpiece that simply must be experienced, and you can do so at the Belcourt on Thursday, with a subtitled showtime at 7 p.m. and a dubbed showing at 9 p.m. It’s showing as part of both the Belcourt’s Restoration Roundup series, and its Staff Picks series, courtesy of staffer Nathan.
7 & 9 p.m. at the Belcourt
2102 Belcourt Ave.
