The Boy and the Heron
Japanese animation grandmaster Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle) returns with a visually stunning and autobiographical fairy tale about the magical odyssey of a grieving teenage boy. Winner of the Oscar for best animated feature.
Also screening with English subtitles.
During the Second World War, young Mahito Maki suffers a heart-breaking family tragedy and must move immediately to the countryside, where his father works for a family making planes for Japan’s military, as Miyazaki’s own father did. Isolated, Mahito begins exploring the mysterious landscapes and encounters a grey heron – a long-legged wading bird. The boy also happens upon an abandoned tower. Curious, he enters. From there, THE BOY AND THE HERON expands into a wondrous, often-startling phantasmagoria.
Visually, the film shows Miyazaki at the height of his powers, filling the frame with gorgeous compositions, vibrant colour, and arresting movement.
Coming after Miyazaki announced his retirement, THE BOY AND THE HERON is an especially precious gift, and possibly the final film we will see from one of cinema’s greatest artists. (source: www.tiff.net)