Sent from her foster home in the city one summer to a sleepy town by the sea in Hokkaido, Anna dreams her days away among the marshes. She believes she’s outside the invisible magic circle to which most people belong – and shuts herself off from everyone around her, wearing her “ordinary face”. Anna never expected to meet a friend like Marnie, who does not judge Anna for being just what she is. But no sooner has Anna learned the loveliness of friendship than she begins to wonder about her newfound friend… Based on the novel by Joan G. Robinson, When Marnie Was There is the newest film from Studio Ghibli, and the second feature film by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the director of The Secret World of Arrietty.
Presented in English as part of our Art of World Animation Series!
“To those film lovers attuned to quiet moments and emotional nuance, this film has a shine all its own. The old-school hand-drawn animation celebrates sweeping landscapes and but also the telling detail, revealing character through spare gestures.” -Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic
“There are moments of hushed magic here, of moonlit, seaside and tree-shadowed visual poetry, that rival anything Ghibli has ever created.” -Andrew O’Hehir, Salon
“Subtle, sometimes really sad and honest about the struggles of adolescence, ‘Marnie’ is a worthy last entry from Ghibli before the studio reportedly goes on hiatus.” -Sara Stewart, New York Post
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ZARAFA | Oct. 17 & 18
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