Paramount Pictures has released the entirety of Satoshi Kon’s Millennium Actress on their Paramount Vault YouTube channel. The film is available for free only in the United States. The film is offered with the original Japanese audio and English subtitles.
Millennium Actress was directed by the late Satoshi Kon and was produced by animation studio Madhouse. It was released in 2001 and received the Grand Prize in the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival. The film tied with Spirited Away for the award.
Paramount Pictures describes the film as follows:
Following up on his highly acclaimed animated psychological thriller Perfect Blue, Satoshi Kon spins this mystery about a documentary filmmaker and a legendary actress. In honor of Gin Ei studios 70th anniversary, a small production house run by Genya Tachibana is selected to make a commemorative documentary. Genya decides to focus his film on actress Chiyoko Fujiwara, a massive star who at the height of her popularity retreated from public life. Accompanied an eager young cameraman, Genya doggedly tracks her down to discover her living a hermit-like life of charmed isolation. He also learns that in spite of her advanced age, she has lost little of her famed charm or elegance. As he interviews her, Genya learns of Chiyoko’s troubled past and eventually the reasons for her sudden retirement.
Dreamworks released the film on DVD in North America. Bandai Visual released the film on Blu-ray in Japan in 2014.
