Ritual

A disillusioned filmmaker meets a young woman who daily repeats the phrase that tomorrow is her birthday. As he uses his video camera to communicate with her, he discovers she has detached herself from reality. The man becomes fond of her and attempts to help her overcome her past traumas.

Hideaki Anno wrote and directed this Japanese drama, which is the sixth of 15 films he has directed. It follows his 1998 project Love and Pop and precedes Cutie Honey from 2004. The movie stars Shunji Iwai as the director and Ayako Fujitani as the young woman, with supporting roles played by Jun Murakami, Shinobu Otake, Suzuki Matsuo, and Megumi Hayashibara. The film was produced by Tokuma Shoten and Studio Kajino.

The movie has been well received by viewers, earning a rating of 7.5 on IMDb from 3,300 votes and a 7.7 on TMDB from 100 votes.