Cannes: Tatsushi Ômori's THE WHISPERING OF THE GODS (GERUMANIUMU NO YORU), w/ Hirofumi Arai, Leona

From The Hollywood Reporter article "Boundaries tested in Omori's 'Gods'" (Feb. 14, 2006): Tatsushi Ômori's The Whispering of the Gods (Gerumaniumu no yoru - or "Germanium no yoru", if you prefer back-transliterations) "brings together a pedophile Catholic priest, violence, schoolboys performing oral sex, and gratification taken from dead animals, as well as a trainee nun who forgets her vow of celibacy pretty early on in the film.
Omori and his studio, Arato Film Inc., had previously hoped to screen the movie at the Berlin International Film Festival, but cites a 'shift in strategy' for withdrawing the film in early February.
Instead, 35-year-old Omori says he hopes to screen the ¥130 million ($1.1 million) film in Cannes.
Arato Film received letters from members of the church in Japan saying the film should be reported to the police. Showing it in Europe is likely to provoke a similar reaction."

The screenplay for The Whispering of the Gods (Gerumaniumu no yoru) was written by Yoshio Urasawa, based on the eponymous novel Gerumaniumu no yoru by Mangetsu Hanamura. The movie's principal cast is as follows: Hirofumi Arai, Leona Hirota (Hirota Reona), Megumi Sawara, Keita Kimura, Nao Ômori, Takayuki Tsuwa, Genta Dairaku, Masashi Yamamoto, Akifumi Miura, Akaji Maro, Renji Ishibashi, and Kei Satô.

The Whispering of the Gods was in competition at the 18th Tokyo International Film Festival (Dai-18-kai Tôkyô Kokusai Eigasai). Arato Film Inc. (K.K. Arato Eiga Jimusho) released it theatrically in Japan on December 17th of last year.

For more information on The Whispering of the Gods, see ScreenAnarchy's third, second, and first articles on it.

"'The Whispering of the Gods' is, I believe, the most powerful Japanese film I have seen during 2005. Certainly, in it, director Omori Tatsushi makes the memorable debut." - world-renowned film critic Donald Richie, as quoted on the official subsite for The Whispering of the Gods

The Whispering of the Gods broadband theatrical trailer (streaming Windows Media)
The Whispering of the Gods narrowband theatrical trailer (streaming Windows Media)

The Whispering of the Gods teaser trailer #1 (streaming Windows Media)
The Whispering of the Gods teaser trailer #2 (streaming Windows Media)
The Whispering of the Gods official subsite
Variety: Review of The Whispering of the Gods