"The legendary filmmaker has returned, thankfully, to deliver one of his best, most imaginative and mature movies yet." - Laura Babiak, Observer
"A staggering addition to one of animation’s most totemic filmographies." - David Sims, Atlantic
"Miyazaki once more collides the known and the impossible to spin a yarn of fantasy and tragedy that leaves audiences dropped-jawed in awe, a bit heartbroken, yet bolstered by beauty and radiant empathy." - Kristy Puchko, Mashable
Wednesday, June 26, 6:30 p.m. | In his first film in a decade, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, Hayao Miyazaki returns with a profound visual feast. During WWII, teenage Mahito is grieving the tragic loss of his mother when he must relocate to the countryside home of his father Shoichi and stepmother Natsujo. Isolated and struggling to adjust, Mahito is exploring the rural landscape when he encounters a persistent grey heron, and discovers an abandoned tower that takes him on an extraordinary journey into a magical, sometimes startling alternate reality. A boundlessly imaginative exploration of grief, family, and childhood, THE BOY AND THE HERON is a masterful work of wondrous beauty.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Animated Film, Academy Awards
Official Selection - New York Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, San Sebastian Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival
Scored by Hisaishi: One of the most celebrated Japanese composers of our time, Joe Hisaishi has worked with revered director and animator Hayao Miyazaki since 1984, having written scores for 10 of Miyazaki’s films. His compositions fuse minimalist and classical sensibilities with whimsical energy to create scores that are simultaneously timeless and modern, and always a welcome sound to accompany Miyazaki’s sights. In collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who hosts the artist for Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi June 27 through June 30, the Film Center presents five of our favorite films featuring his compositions. View full series.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu