Studio Ghibli Film Series at SIFF starts Friday

SIFF is showing 15 Studio Ghibli films, most of them in both English and Japanese, over the next two weeks.

If you are not familiar with this work, this is a wonderful opportunity to repair that tragic failure. I think all of the films are fine for children, most of them are brilliant for children, and nearly all of them are simply brilliant.

Small children will adore My Neighbor Totoro, Pom Poko, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, and Ponyo. Those over 9 or so will love Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and The Cat Returns. Those over 12 will enjoy Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away although these may be frightening or too violent for some younger children. I'm not sure if younger audiences would appreciate Whisper of the Heart, Ocean Waves, or Only Yesterday, and, to be honest, I'm not familiar with the film My Neighbors the Yamada's.

I can recommend all of these films for adult audiences, even those that young children would enjoy.

The films are available on DVD, but you should take this opportunity to see them on the big screen.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks, Charlie! My daughter is a HUGE fan of Studio Ghibli. We missed notice of this film series.

K
6/21/12, 5:56 PM
Anonymous said…
My Neighbors the Yamadas is a hoot. It's a collection of short animated stories about a stereotypical middle-aged corporate employee and his family. Not geared toward the younger audience (nothing objectionable, but the humor is not aimed at kids).

Total Miyazaki/Ghibli fan!
6/21/12, 7:24 PM
erik t said…
My son who is seven has been enjoying the films since he was four where he discovered the magic of Tototo. It's amazing the complexity of the stories that young minds can wrap their heads around. Thanks for the heads up.
6/21/12, 7:40 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you! I missed this one completely. I wish I could see the whole series...
6/22/12, 8:29 AM
Me.Ow said…
Thanks for this note. Because we saw the post here, we took the kids to Pom Poko. It was fabulous. Keep up the great work!
7/1/12, 4:15 PM
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