After a 5-year hiatus from directing to work on other projects, Oshii returned to live-action with the Japanese-Polish feature "Avalon" (2001), which was selected for an out of competition screening at the Cannes Film Festival. His next animated feature film was the long-awaited sequel to "Ghost in the Shell", titled "". Four years in the making, the film focuses on Batou as he investigates a series of gruesome murders, while trying to reconcile with his deteriorating humanity. Though it received mixed reviews, "Innocence" was selected to compete at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for the coveted Palme d'Or prize, making it the first (and thus far, only) anime to be so honored.