Academy Award winner for best Foreign Language Film 2009, this is a warm and light film with a spectacularly pertinent main point. Movies and books, along with school teachers and parents, often tell us that one of the most important things that can be done with a life is to find that thing that makes us most happy.

In order to be successful at that thing, it is necessary to stick at it and make many sacrifices, but this isn’t always the best choice. In Departures, Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist who is suddenly left without a job when his orchestra is dissolved. He moves back to his hometown and finds he is equally passionate about being a ‘Nokanshi’, a traditional funeral celebrant. His wife and others despise the job. However, this time, he sticks at it.

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Any artform with a cult following often hides behind those fans to defend mediocrity. Too often anime is guilty of this crime and many releases which claim to be breakthroughs are only mediocre. Vexille proves this assertion by standing far above when compared to other recent releases. It combines a brilliant storyline with stunning animation to form a film that compares with the best of any genre. It is the year 2077 and the Japanese have been isolated for decades from the rest of the world, rumoured to be developing banned robotic technology. The storyline analyses the possible ramifications and consequences of genetic engineering allowed to run wild in an intelligent and insightful way. Combined with some ridiculously smooth and luscious stills and sequences, the package makes for a genre-defining film.