Anime powerhouse Studio GONZO, producer of such series as Samurai 7, Hellsing, and Blue Submarine No. 6, roared into feature film territory in 2006 to great success. Their second film, Brave Story, garnered more attention and box office, but their debut film, released in January 2006, is an equally spectacular affair. A brilliant fusion of 2-D and 3-D animation, Agito (a.k.a. Gin-iro no Kami no Agito and Origin, Spirits of the Past) is a visually astounding and thematically compelling anime adventure film that presents a bleak yet beautiful portrait of nature and human nature.

Three hundred years into the future, the earth is a fragmented post-apocalyptic world split between humans and trees. Some years ago, genetic engineering gone wrong led to a massive tree rebellion which ravaged the planet. Now, the Forest covers much of earth, and mutant trees called Druids control the land and resources. Young Agito lives in Neutral City, a peaceful colony that lies between the Forest and Laguna, a nation whose inhabitants hope to destroy the Forest. One day, Agito unwittingly awakens Toola, a young girl who has been preserved in a pod for 300 years. Toola has access to a very powerful weapon that both the Druids and Laguna's leader want, throwing the world into another dangerous cycle of destruction.