It has been a grand year for Japanese films, and they don't come much grander than Hana-bi, a poetic, violent masterpiece from Kitano "Beat" Takeshi, and Princess Mononoke, a superb animation by Miyazaki Hayao.

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Other films in the shortlist included Chan-wook Park's "Oldboy" from South Korea and Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki's animated film "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi" ("Spirited Away").

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The name Rapyuta is taken from the Japanese film by Hayao Miyazaki Castle in the Sky - in the film it is the place where all the robots live.

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