Ritual

Shiki-Jitsu (式日, lit. "Ritual Day" or "Ceremonial Day") is a 2000 art-house film directed by Hideaki Anno. This film is Hideaki Anno's second live action feature. The screenplay is an adaption by Hideaki Anno and Ayako Fujitani of Fujitani's novella Touhimu, which was inspired by an emotionally difficult time spent in Los Angeles during her work in her father's 1998 film, The Patriot. Michael Ordona of the Los Angeles Times said the film had "dark themes of mental illness and suicidal ideation". The film tells the story of a director, played by independent filmmaker Shunji Iwai, who meets an odd young woman, played by Ayako Fujitani, who wrote the novella Tohimu the film is based upon. The story takes place over a period of 33 days. The plot involves these two characters trying to work their way out of a collective emotional funk. Shiki-Jitsu won an award for Best Artistic Contribution at the 13th International Film Festival in Tokyo.