Picnic (1996 film)

Picnic is a 1996 Japanese film directed by Shunji Iwai. The film was shot in 1994, but not released until 1996.

Coco, Tsumuji and Satoru, three mental asylum patients want to see the world, being not allowed behind the border of the asylum. Therefore they start to explore the world by walking on the wall, soon finding themselves in the outside ambience. But they still believe its right what they are doing because they are staying on the wall. When Coco and Tsumuji walk near a church, they meet a priest who gives them a bible, to help them believe in god. Misinterpretating a part, they think that the end of the world is near. Excited to watch this armageddon, they head for another trip into the outside world, finding a place to have a picnic and watch the final event.

Characters

• Coco (Chara): killed her twin sister Kiki in a "who is fake"-game, she likes ravens and wears black feathers, believes that the world started when she was born, and will end when she dies

• Tsumuji (Tadanobu Asano): killed his teacher because he tormeted him, has hallucinations of this teacher, wants the world to end soon

• Satoru (Koichi Hashizume): friend of Tsumuji, has a crush on Coco

Awards

• 1996 Berlin International Film Festival - Forum of new cinema Prize of the Readers of the Berliner Zeitung

External links

• Picnic at the Internet Movie Database