San Diego Asian Film Festival 2008

In the year 2067, Japan makes key breakthroughs in robot technology and isolates itself off from the rest of the world against UN regulations. A decade later, the Americans believe Japan is a threat, so they send in a special forces unit led by Vexille (voiced by Meisa Kuroki) to investigate. After infiltrating Japan's security, they discover something shocking: a previously unknown technology which has managed to blend human tissue with robot engineering, resulting in androids that are virtually indiscernible from real humans. The mission quickly goes awry. Ambushed and left for dead, Vexille is rescued by local rebel Maria (Yatsuko Matsuyuki) who shares a common desire to take back their humanity and end the cybernetic tyranny. Together, they team up with a rag-tag crew of insurgents to prevent the rest of the world from meeting the same sinister fate.

From the creators of Appleseed comes this edgy, futuristic, animated thriller directed by Japanese filmmaker Fumihiko Sori. Sori’s vivid depiction of dystopian Japan and its brooding undertones pays homage to Bladerunner, even down to its ass-kicking femme fatales. Heavily inspired by Ghost In The Shell, The Matrix, Star Wars, and Road Warrior, Vexille is packed full of jaw-dropping action sequences and eye-popping visuals that rival the best of Hollywood films. An official selection in prestigious Toronto Int’l Film Festival, Anime Insider calls Vexille, “A Must See!”

Co-presented by:
Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana