About

Hayao Miyazaki returns from retirement, once again, with this immaculately hand-drawn animated adventure. 11-year-old Mahito (Soma Santoki), moves to his family’s country estate after the death of his mother during a fire in the Second World War. Lonely and missing his mother, Mahito notices an unusual and uncanny grey heron (Masaki Suda), who lures Mahito towards a mysterious tower. On entering the ruined tower, a journey of self-exploration and a pursuit of inner truths unfold in an alternate world, in which the realms of the living and the dead intertwine. Mixing the cosmic, the psychedelic, and the surreal within a grounded fantasy in signature Studio Ghibli style, Miyazaki explores the nature of grief and the importance of human connection. TM

PG | Mild fantasy themes, animated violence and occasional coarse language