A boy, his father and a mysterious heron, in possibly the last ever film by anime master Hayao Miyazaki.
During World War II, young Mahito and his father flee to the countryside. The boy mourns his mother, who died in a fire. When his father remarries, Mahito despairs. An encounter with a mysterious heron sheds a whole new light on his life and his past.
Almost a decade after The Wind Rises (Imagine 2014), Hayao Miyazaki is back with a story which, in addition to his familiar themes of frail family ties and the fragility of nature, also makes room for the bloodshed of war more emphatically than ever. He draws on his own childhood memories to create a world that is alternately gruesome and beautiful. As usual, Miyazaki switches effortlessly from realistic animation to parallel worlds with mythical animals and strange creatures, all beautifully designed. With the hand of a master, he draws the viewer through a compelling story towards an emotional and touching finale. A glorious farewell from the great director.
