The Fossil (film)

The Fossil
Kanji化石
Revised HepburnKaseki
Directed byMasaki Kobayashi
Screenplay by
  • Shun Inagaki
  • Takeshi Yoshida
Based onKaseki
by Yasushi Inoue
Produced by
  • Masayuki Sato
  • Gin'ichi Kishimoto
Starring
CinematographyKōzō Okazaki
Edited byKeiichi Uraoka
Music byTōru Takemitsu
Production
companies
Distributed byToho (theatrical)
Release dates
  • 1972 (1972) (TV)
  • October 4, 1975 (1975-10-04) (theatrical)
Running time
  • 450 minutes (TV)
  • 200 minutes (theatrical)
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

The Fossil (化石, Kaseki) is a Japanese TV miniseries which screened in eight parts between 31 January and 20 March 1972. It was directed by Masaki Kobayashi and based on a novel by Yasushi Inoue. The series received the same year's Nippon Television Technology Award for photography.

A re-edited version was released theatrically in 1975. The theatrical version was Japan's submission to the 47th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.