Spirited Away: The Films of Studio Ghibli
Beginning Saturday, March 10 and running until April 13, the TIFF Bell Lightbox will host a selection of films by landmark animation house Studio Ghibli, a production company widely regarded as the Disney of Japan. Indeed, Disney itself has established strong creative ties with the studio, and has handled international distribution for its titles since 1999. That support has helped bring Studio Ghibli’s beloved films to new audiences world-wide, but, in North America, it has also meant theatrical releases with English dubbing in place of the original voice-over. As such, anime purists will be delighted to learn that, in addition to featuring several newly struck 35mm prints, TIFF’s 15-film retrospective will provide an opportunity to screen each selection (with the exception of 2008’s Ponyo) with original Japanese dialogue.
The fact that TIFF’s retrospective also happens to coincide with March Break is another welcome bonus, but it would be a mistake to think of Studio Ghibli’s films as strictly kid-friendly affairs. Before Pixar was Pixar, Studio Ghibli set the standard for sophisticated animation that catered to all ages, and in co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, the studio boasts one of cinema’s most widely respected auteurs. Miyazaki’s sensitive, intelligent films exhibit a style and rhythm all their own, and are notably distinct from the more manic fare that dominates the popular conception of anime.
Miyazaki’s entire Studio Ghibli filmmography is featured in TIFF’s programme, as well as 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which, though a pre-Ghibli production, remains a series highlight as the film that laid the foundation for the studio’s creation, and established its painterly style and pro-environmental themes. We also highly recommend the 1988 classic My Neighbor Totoro, Miyazaki’s second film under the Studio Ghibli banner proper, and the origin of the studio’s iconic mascot—a rotund, wide-smiling wood spirit.
Further series essentials include 1997’s wildly ambitious fantasy adventure Princess Mononoke, which broke Japanese box office records, and eventually propelled the studio to widespread international recognition as the first Disney-distributed title. That reputation was firmly solidified when 2001’s Spirited Away won not only world-wide critical and popular acclaim, but both the Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear, and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
If there’s one glaring omission among TIFF’s selections, it’s the hugely moving 1988 film Grave of the Fireflies, directed by Isao Takahata, Miyazaki’s founding partner. We can only presume that there was no print available, as the film is generally regarded as one of Ghibli’s very finest. Fortunately, Takahata’s other Ghibli efforts are featured, including the rarely-screened My Neighbours the Yamadas, an episodic family comedy that is a distinct stylistic departure from the studio’s traditional hand-drawn aesthetic.
For tickets and full programme schedule, visit TIFF online.