It has been announced that a 4K remaster of "Angel's Egg," the legendary OVA (original video animation) directed by Mamoru Oshii, released in 1985, will be exhibited at the 78th Cannes International Film Festival, which starts on May 13th, in the Classics category (Cannes Classics), where it will have its world premiere.
The Classics section was established in 2004 with the aim of rediscovering restored films and classic films of the past. Japanese films that have been screened so far include the 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" and Japan's first full-length color animated feature film, "The Legend of the White Snake."
A 4K remaster of "Angel's Egg" is scheduled to be released worldwide in 2025, the 40th anniversary of its release. Under the supervision of Director Oshii himself, the original 35mm film was scanned and remastered in 4K, and the audio was remixed to Dolby Atmos.
Director Oshii commented, "This film is like a poor daughter who we couldn't release into the world in the right way. As a director, I would be happier if even one more person takes this opportunity to see it. I'd like to once again express my gratitude to the staff who endured the mind-blowing detailed work."
Amano Yoshitaka, original creator and art director, said, "Thank you for selecting 'Angel's Egg 4K Remaster' in the Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival. This is an achievement that I could never have imagined when I was in my early 30s when the original version was made. Receiving such wonderful news makes me feel as if all the hard work I put in back then has paid off after 40 years."
"Angel's Egg" was Director Oshii's first original work, with Amano in charge of the original concept and art direction. It was produced in an ascetic style, with almost monotone colors, very few lines, unusually long takes, and about 400 cuts, about one-third the number of cuts in a normal anime. It was released as an OVA in 1985, and was also shown in theaters for a limited time to commemorate its release.
