Long acclaimed as one of Japan's leading animators, Hayao Miyazaki is quickly being recognized as one of the world's greatest filmmakers. American audiences who know him primarily from his award-winning Spirited Away are now discovering a body of work that combines stunning visual lyricism with a deep sense of humanity. Miyazaki's magical films transport the viewer to unforgettably fantastical universes, but they are always grounded in realistic and very human emotions. All films in Japanese with English subtitles.

Princess Mononoke

Set during the Muromachi Period (1333-1568) of Japan, Princess Mononoke is a story about a mystical fight between the Animal Gods of the forest and humans. On the side of the Animal Gods is San, a human girl raised by the wolf god Moro. On the side of the humans is Lady Eboshi, building a town for oppressed people by cutting down the forest for her iron-making operation. In the middle of this fierce fighting for survival, Ashitaka, an Emishi boy, struggles to find a way for both sides to co-exist. In his most mature and complex work, Miyazaki tells a story in which there are no heroes or villains, only a desire to live that is both essential and destructive.

Japan, 1997, 134 min., color


September 1
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