Two little girls and their father move into a beautiful old house in the countryside to be near their mother, who is seriously ill in hospital. Largely left to fend for themselves, Mei and her big sister Satsuki encounter a strange and beautiful world of forest sprites named ’Totoros’, a place where seeds can transform into huge trees in an instant, and buses shaped like cats traverse the countryside, all ot this unseen by adults.
Probably Miyazaki’s most beloved film (even Akira Kurosawa said how moved he was, and selected it among the greatest films ever made), this Ghibli classic makes the supernatural seem, well, natural, while exploring universal emotional undercurrents with rare sensitivity. It was also a very personal film for the writer-director, who was the same age as Mei when his own mother was hospitalized with tuberculosis. Heartbreaking and beguiling this is one to cherish.
Our matinee family-friendly shows will feature the English-language version, all ages welcome. Evening screenings will play in Japanese with English subtitles.
March 16: Introduced by Keith Blackmore
Whenever I watch it, I smile, and smile, and smile.
Roger Ebert
Presenting Partner
Media Partner
Hayao Miyazaki
Japan
1988
Matinee: English
Evening: In Japanese with English subtitles
Best Animated Film of All Time: Time Out