Shiki-Jitsu (式日, lit. "Ritual Day" or "Ceremonial Day"?) is a (2000) live-action art-house film directed by Hideaki Anno. The screenplay is an adaption by Hideaki Anno and Ayako Fujitani of Fujitani's novella Touhimu, which was inspired by an emotionally difficult time spent in Los Angeles during her work in her father's 1998 film, The Patriot. Michael Ordona of the Los Angeles Times said the film had "dark themes of mental illness and suicidal ideation". The film tells the story of a director, played by independent filmmaker Shunji Iwai, who meets an odd young woman, played by Ayako Fujitani, who wrote the novella Tohimu the film is based upon. The story takes place over a period of 33 days. Shiki-Jitsu won an award for Best Artistic Contribution at the 13th International Film Festival in Tokyo. The film follows a young Director returning to his hometown, a suburb of a larger Japanese city, and an eccentric young girl he meets, whose quirks include saying "tomorrow is my birthday"...