WATCH PARTY: The Boy and the Heron (2023) dir. by Hayao Miyazaki @Jordan-Newby

NOTE: I have some flexibility to move this event around as I have this Saturday 1-3:45 slot reserved as well as room reservations for the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings of the following week. Please let me know if you really want to attend this but Saturday at 1 won't work (but another of those days will.)

Academy Award Winner - Best Animated Feature

Runtime: 124 minutes
Synopsis (from GKIDS.com):
After losing his mother during the war, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower, and enters a fantastic world shared by the living and the dead. As he embarks on an epic journey with the heron as his guide, Mahito must uncover the secrets of this world, and the truth about himself. Featuring the voices of Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson and Florence Pugh.

The Boy and the Heron is the new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award®️-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film “Spinning Globe” was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.