This is not always an easy movie to watch with the violence and a central theme of child abuse and murder. There are also a couple of scenes that could easily be defined as rape, or at least very violent, not explicitly consensual sex. Even with all that, it’s a film full of beauty, and even kindness.

This is somewhat of a sequel, something of a remake, tied together with a bit of a documentary. Naito Takashi played the young man, Ringo, in the original version of the film, and he appeals to director Nagasaki Shunichi to play the part again, if for no other reason than to be able to punch his younger self really hard.

There are multiple tracks in play here; the documentary surrounding the remake itself; the scenes from the original Super 8 production from 1982; the pair of new runaways; the space in which everything comes together, and the four runaways all meet at one place and time. The use of the old footage is well done, showing the new and the old mirroring one another. The film transitions well between the tracks, almost as if the entire film was shot on the different formats recently, for effect.

It’s a beautiful film about ugly things, and it’s a must see film at this festival. The 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival plays host to this film’s World Premiere, and we’re very lucky to have it. I plan to see it at least once more. Sunday October 2, 7:00 pm at the Visa Screening Room (The Vogue), or Monday October 3, 2:00 pm at the Granville 7.