Paprika

A dream detective searches for a dangerous device that, in the wrong hands, could destroy people’s minds.

In the not-too-distant future, a device called the DC mini allows users to see people’s dreams. The team behind the device is led by Dr Atsuko Chiba, who is using the technology in secret in order to help some of her patients. Assuming the identity of a detective called Paprika in the dreamworld, Atsuko is aided by two other colleagues in her department, including the inventor of the device, Dr. Kōsaku Tokita.

When three of the DC minis go missing and some of her colleagues start having deadly accidents, Atsuko goes down a surreal rabbit hole of dreams and nightmares as she tries to retrieve the stolen devices and expose the culprit responsible.

Based on the novel of the same name by postmodern science fiction author Yasutaka Tsutsui, director Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue,1997), continues his fascination with the tenuous boundary between fantasy and reality. Included in Rotten Tomatoes and Time Out’s list of Top 50 Animated Films of All Time, Paprika is a surreal and gripping psychological thriller that explores the frightening meld between technology and the human psyche.

– Spiro Economopoulos (Guest Curator)