We have officially run out of Studio Ghibli films! But let's continue with the spirit of our Ghibli Movie Nights by watching some other wonderful anime that Hayao Miyazaki himself would have been proud to conceive and direct!

• When: Every Friday at 8:30 PM (ending approx. by 11:00 pm)
• Where: KCECH 1938 Lounge (snacks and refreshments provided)
• No RSVP required: just show up, and feel free to bring your friends!

This Friday we will be screening Makoto Shinkai's fascinating 星を追う子ども, Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo ("Children Who Chase Stars", 2011), produced by CoMix Wave Films, and also known as Journey to Agartha or Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Down. This spell-binding title is an epic fantasy adventure and coming of age story of a girl, Asuna, who is on a journey to say farewell. A mysterious music that resonates in her heart unlike anything else --coming from an old radio left as a memento by her deceased father-- and a chance encounter with a mysterious boy, lead the young heroine deep into Agartha, a hidden world of legend, ancient gods, and ghastly creatures --where the dead can be brought back to life...

On our infatuation with Makoto Shinkai, let us just quote The Criterion Collection Channel: "Like his predecessor Hayao Miyazaki, to whom he is often compared, Makoto Shinkai has taken anime to new heights of pure cinematic achievement. Specially attuned to the loneliness of young people living in digitally saturated urban environments, he depicts their longing and need—no matter how impossible—for true human connection [...]. His wondrous visual style, layering photorealism and expressive hyperbole, brings a uniquely present-tense magical realism to idiosyncratic, emotionally captivating narratives that redefine the possibilities of animated storytelling."