Millennium Actress is currently streaming on HBO Max

Millennium Actress (2002)86 minAnimation, Drama, FantasyRating 71/100

At the turn of the millennium, the legendary film studio Ginei demolishes their aged film sets. Their former employee Genya Tachibana decides to use this occasion to film a documentary about the studio's great star, Chiyoko Fujiwara. Together with his cameraman Kyōji Ida, he travels to the remote house of the now over 70-year-old actress. A golden key that they give her as a gift awakens her memories of her first love, who disappeared in the chaos of World War 2 and whom she was searching for her whole life long. In Chiyoko's story, the history of Japanese film unravels so lifelike that past and present become indistinguishable.

Cast: Miyoko Shoji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Showko Tsuda, Shozo Iizuka, Masaya Onosaka, Masane Tsukayama

Director: Satoshi Kon