Avalon (Japanese: アヴァロン, Hepburn: Avaron), also known as Gate to Avalon, is a 2001 Polish-language Japanese science fiction drama film directed by Mamoru Oshii and written by Kazunori Itō.
The film stars Małgorzata Foremniak as Ash, a player in an illegal virtual reality video game whose sense of reality is challenged as she attempts to unravel the true nature and purpose of the game. Avalon was filmed in Wrocław, Nowa Huta, the Modlin Fortress and Warsaw. The 2009 film Assault Girls that was written and directed by Oshii, is a stand-alone sequel set in the same fictional universe as Avalon.
Players wear headsets which immerse their senses in the game world. The design of the headset and chair installation are influenced by the cult French science fiction short film La jetée. The headless statues also appear in this 1962 film.
The scene with Ash in the tramway is a live action recreation of a similar scene appearing in the 1999 anime feature film Jin-Roh, which Oshii wrote but did not direct. This scene is based on Oshii’s own teenage experience, when he used to spend entire days spinning in loop in the Yamanote Line. (wiki)
TimeSpace Warps 