If a technological feat is possible, man will do it. Almost as if it's wired into the core of our being.

ANIMONDAYS exists to exhibit great works of animation from all over the world (but mostly Japan). This month we take a backwards dive into cyberpunk philosophy with Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell.

In the future, cybernetic enhancements are so common that most human consciousnesses ('ghosts') are connected directly to the internet, while their bodies ('shells') have been augmented beyond normal human capabilities. Major Motoko Kusanagi is tasked with preventing cyber terrorism and tracking down the enigmatic Puppet Master who hijacks people's brains to commit high-profile crimes. As she follows the trail left by the ghost-hacker, she wrestles with questions of identity and humanity in a world where the line between person and machine continues to blur.

Ghost in the Shell holds a colossal presence in cyberpunk and anime history, directly influencing blockbuster Hollywood directors like the Wachowskis (JUST LOOK at The Matrix - it's the closest we'll ever come to a live-action GitS!* ), James Cameron, and Steven Spielberg. Its reflections on the nature of consciousness only grow more pertinent with the current commercial push towards artificial intelligence. Plus, it's packed with some of the best action sequences and head explosions ever put to screen!

Join us on May 12th at 7:00 PM, and ponder your terrifying existence with Ghost in the Shell. Presented in Japanese with English subtitles. Rated somewhere between PG-13 and R for violence, non-sexual nudity, profanity, and intense action.

*I know what I said.