Japan 2003
142 minutes
Japanese with English subtitles
35mm print

Azumi is the story of a group of lively kids, secluded in the mountains and taught to fight by greybeard, Jiji. His wish is to send them out into the world as his enforcers - fighting for truth, justice and the eternal rule of the emperor – but first he must give them one last test: kill each other. Unable to disobey, they do, and the survivors stumble forth, shell-shocked, brainwashed, and find they have no skills except killing. The one exception is the only swordswoman of the group, Azumi, wearing short shorts and miniskirts, and trying to preserve the last scraps of her own humanity against tidal waves of sword-waving mercenaries.

This is a new film from Director Ryuhei Kitamura, who has shifted from homemade, indie flicks with zombies, to a level of international cult status. Azumi is brimming with explosive emotion and heartbreak over the loss of innocence, but still finds time for grotesque villains and samurai battles. As the film's producer says, "Azumi is not an awards type film - We do not ask to put it in competition anywhere. We just want people to enjoy it."

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Cast: Aya Ueto, Jo Odagiri, Yoshio Harada, Aya Okumoto