THE BOY AND THE HERON + 5 Studio Ghibli Classics

Earlier this year, the said-to-be-final feature film from master Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki premiered in Japan, its marketing campaign bolstered not by a synopsis or trailer, but on the strength of one image only. It became a massive hit. In honor of its U.S. release this December, we pay tribute to an artist whose work will endure long beyond what we hope is a career that is far from over.

Sat, Dec 2 at 1:00pm

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

Based on Miyazaki’s own childhood imaginings, this is a deceptively simple tale of two girls who discover that their surrounding forests are home to a family of Totoros, gentle but powerful creatures who live in a huge and ancient camphor tree and are seen only by children.

Mon, Dec 4 at 5:25pm, 8:00pm

SPIRITED AWAY

Combining Japanese mythology with Through the Looking Glass-type whimsy, SPIRITED AWAY concerns 10-year-old Chichiro who is separated from her parents and stumbles into a dream-like spirit world where she is put to work in a bathhouse for the gods — a place where all kinds of nonhuman beings come to refresh, relax and recharge.

Sat, Dec 2 | 11:45am-12:45pm

Seminar: Miyazaki As Auteur

This seminar is in conjunction with THE BOY AND THE HERON + 5 Studio Ghibli Classics. It will be presented in the 1925 Hall, prior to the 1pm matinee of MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO. Film tickets and seminar tickets are sold separately. Led by artist Sam Smith.

Tue, Dec 5 at 4:00pm

KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE

This delightfully imaginative film is the timeless story of a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt.

Tue, Dec 5 at 6:15pm

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE

After a chance meeting with a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl, a young girl is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste. Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle.

Ends Wed, Feb 7

THE BOY AND THE HERON

Already acclaimed as a masterpiece in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s new film begins as a simple story of loss and love, and rises to a staggering work of imagination — an especially precious gift, and possibly the final film we will see from one of cinema’s greatest artists.