The Enduring Films of Studio Ghibli Co-founder Isao Takahata
Various, Hong Kong , 
Why We Recommend it
This retrospective on the late Japanese film director, screenwriter and producer Isao Takahata will screen five of his best feature films, including the lauded animation Grave of the Fireflies.
Description
Setting his sights beyond traditional children’s fare, Isao Takahata (1935 – 2018) was an animation pioneer whose feature directorial debut Horus: Prince of the Sun (1968) is regarded as a pivotal work in the evolution of animation. This film is also the first major movie by Hayao Miyazaki, with whom Takahata would co-found film and animation studio Studio Ghibli in 1985.
Takahata’s character-driven animations are as whimsical as they are heart-wrenching. His films are noted for their sophisticated blend of realism and fantastical imagery, brought to life in evocative colours and fluid brushstrokes.
Grave of the Fireflies (1988), an anti-war drama noted for its emotional impact, is the first film Takahata directed for Studio Ghibli. It is one of the films he is best remembered for, as well as the film that helped establish the international esteem of Studio Ghibli.
This programme, curated by HK Cinefan, will screen this acclaimed film, as well as Only Yesterday (1991), a nostalgic and realistic drama aimed at adults and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013), Takahata’s final animated fable inspired by Japanese folklore, among others.
Details
When: 18 Jun 2018 - 29 Jul 2018 Where: Various, Hong Kong
