ARCHIVED ONLINE EVENT - The Japan Society Film Club: The Boy And The Heron directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Date
Wednesday 6 March 2024
Time
6.30pm (GMT)
For countries outside the UK, please use this calculator to check the time in your region.

Booking Details
Online meeting on Zoom
Please register for the meeting in advance from the link below. After registering, you will receive a automated confirmation email with meeting access details (please check your spam folder if you don't receive any emails).

Free for members of The Japan Society

Please remember to watch the film in advance.
The Boy and the Heron is available to watch in cinemas across the UK. Check the official website for local showtimes.

Please help us to keep this event free and open to all! The activities of The Japan Society are made possible thanks to the support of its members. If you are planning to attend this event and are not a member (as an individual or through your employer), please consider becoming a member or making a donation if you can - the recommended donation is £5. Thank you!

Let's chat online about the latest masterpiece directed by Hayao Miyazaki! Please join us in March to discuss the wonderful animation film The Boy and the Heron.

The contemplative film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか, Kimitachi wa do ikiru ka, 2023) is the latest work directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. It is based on the 1937 novel How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino and has autobiographical features. In the film, Mahito, a 12-year-old boy, grapples with his mother's passing and embarks on an extraordinary journey guided by a talking heron. The film delicately navigates themes of familial loss and grief, weaving a poignant narrative that transcends into another realm.

Hayao Miyazaki (1941-) is an acclaimed Japanese anime director and one of the founders of the animation company Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki graduated in economics from Gakushuin University in Tokyo before starting his career in the film industry in 1963 as an animator at the studio Toei Animation. While at Toei, he met fellow animator Isao Takahata who became a lifelong friend, collaborator, and business partner. Miyazaki and Takahata left the company in 1971 and went to work at Shin-ei Animation where they worked on anime series such as Arsene Lupin, Heidi, Girl of the Alps and Anne of Green Gables. In 1984, Miyazaki released Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, based on his manga of the same name. The success of the film led to the establishment of Studio Ghibli, where Miyazaki has since directed, written, and produced celebrated films such as My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), Ponyo (2008) and The Wind Rises (2013). Despite the announcement of his retirement from filmmaking in 2013, Miyazaki has kept working making short films and has released another feature-length film, The Boy and the Heron, in 2023.

Do you love Japanese film classics, anime or contemporary cinema stories? Do you miss Japan and want to see it at least on screen? Would you like to learn and discuss about Japanese culture and society? The Japan Society Film Club is an online space to chat about films and Japan in an informal atmosphere. It takes place on the first Wednesday of the month. We recommend a film to watch in advance and meet online to discuss. Films are often available online for free, to rent or with subscription, on DVD/Blu Ray or on BFI player. The event is open to all and we encourage participants to freely express their opinions and feelings about the films.

If you have any questions, please call The Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email events@japansociety.org.uk.