Hayao Miyazaki – legendary director of Studio Ghibli masterpieces like Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro – comes out of retirement for a semi-autobiographical fantasy adventure that has been hailed as one of the most personal and acclaimed films of his 60-year career.

When young Mahito loses his mother during World War II, he is relocated from Tokyo to the Japanese countryside to live with his new stepmother, who bears a striking resemblance to the boy’s late mother. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to meet a mischievous grey heron, who leads Mahito on an epic journey into a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead.

Original Japanese version with English subtitles. Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2024 Oscars.