Before We Vanish

Friday, February 16 - Sunday, February 18, 2018

In his twentieth film, acclaimed horror director Kiyoshi Kurosawa reinvents the alien movie as a unique and profoundly human tale of love and mystery.  Three aliens travel to Earth on a reconnaissance mission in preparation for a mass invasion. Having taken possession of human bodies, the visitors rob the hosts of their essence – good, evil, property, family, belonging – leaving only hollow shells, which are all but unrecognizable to their loved ones. Equally hilarious, thrilling, and profound, BEFORE WE VANISH reminds audiences of the continued strength of one of Japanese cinema’s most unique auteurs – and the value of the human spirit.

Official selections: Cannes – Un Certain Regard; New York Film Festial; Chicago International Film Festival; Hawaii International Film Festival; San Diego Asian Film Festival

• Country Japan
• Language Japanese with English subtitles
• Running Time 129 minutes
• Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa
• Writer Tomohiro Maekawa (playwright), Kiyoshi Kurosawa (screenplay), Sachiko Tanaka (screenplay)
• Cast Masami Nagasawa, Ryûhei Matsuda, Hiroki Hasegawa

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.