Due to weather, the April 14, 9:20pm screening of Before We Vanish at St. Anthony Main Theatre has been postponed. New screening date/time: April 30 at 9:00pm.
The human spirit is both a ghost and eternally present in horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s twentieth film. Before they invade, three aliens are sent to Earth to assess the environment, and takeover human bodies as disguises. In the wake, the human hosts’ loved ones are confronted with the confounding reality that the people they once knew have transformed. As their hosts’ families contend with people they no longer recognize, the aliens attempt to understand humans by “stealing” unique emotional characteristics from individuals they come in contact with, such as family bonds and work ethic. But what happens when the aliens try to steal a characteristic that is more universal, like love?
Effortlessly blending humor, horror and psychology, Kurosawa follows the alien-human-impersonators as they struggle to adjust while lacking the benefit of emotional nuance. The future of Earth itself is tied to the strength and persistence of a humanity that refuses to be snuffed out.
Born in 1955 in the city of Kobe, Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a screenwriter, film critic, and one of the best know directors working in Japan today. His work covers decades and includes features, short film and television. He is a professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Before We Vanish (‘17) is his twentieth film.