A rendering of the characters from the Studio Ghibli Film “My Neighbor Totoro.” (Image Credit: City Cinemas)
Fans of beloved Japanese storyteller Hayao Miyazaki, who produced some of the world’s most iconic animated films, will be delighted to see his quintessential works and others from the Japanese company Studio Ghibli returning to the Village East Cinema this summer. During the height of Miyazaki’s tenure at Studio Ghibli, the filmmaker was lauded for his visually stunning movies featuring gutsy female heroines that struck at the wide range of the human experience, spanning whimsical family tales in My Neighbor Totoro to grim government spies and giant robots in Castle in the Sky.
Poster for Studio Ghibli film “Spirited Away.” (Image Credit: IMDb)
New to Studio Ghibli and not sure where to start? Our suggestion: Spirited Away, which The New York Times ranked number two in its list of the top 25 films of the century for its emotionally evocative, coming-of-age story set in the mesmerizing fantasy world of a Japanese bathhouse. Strong runner ups are Princess Mononoke, the pro-environment themes of which seem more relevant now than ever, and Howl’s Moving Castle, about an unorthodox romance between a magician and a young hat-maker transformed into an ornery old woman.
The first Studio Ghibli film opens next Tuesday, June 19 at the Village East Cinema. The remaining lineup of films runs through the end of August. Check out the full schedule here.