Calendar
Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective
OMSI Studio Ghibli Retrospective: 18 Films over 18 Days
January 9- January 26
Over a period of nearly 30 years, Japan's Studio Ghibli established itself as perhaps the world's finest producer of animated motion pictures. With a reputation for lush visuals, attention to detail and epic storytelling, Studio Ghibli eschewed commercial success to create intelligent, poetic, often fanciful films that embrace family, community, and a deep concern for the environment and our relationship with nature.
In dedication to some of the most magical and beloved animated movies ever made, the Empirical Theater is pleased to host our fifth annual Studio Ghibli Retrospective from January 9 through January 26. On exhibit are eighteen films including such acclaimed favorites as Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Howl's Moving Castle.
For the first time, the Retrospective will include our wildly popular Reel Eats experience. Cinema and cuisine combine on January 16 when Hayao Miyazaki's classic Spirited Away is accompanied by a series of curated bites matching key moments in the film.
The Retrospective will also feature three screenings that are introduced by guest speakers. On the Friday evening of opening weekend, PSU Film Studies Instructor Dr. Rob Ribera will discuss the history of Studio Ghibli prior to a screening of the studio's first official release Castle In The Sky. On Tuesday, January 14, Dr. Kristin Faurest, Director at the Japanese Garden Training Center, will speak on activism, protest, and exploitation in conjunction with Isao Takahata's folkloric tale Pom Poko. Dr. Ribera returns the evening of January 22 to examine the topic of war against the backdop of Takahata's haunting Grave of the Fireflies.
New to this year's Retrospective is Hiromasa Yonebayashi's drama When Marnie Was There. This story of a lonely young girl and her mysterious new friend Marnie was considered Studio Ghibli's final feature in the wake of Miyazaki's announced 2014 retirement. Since then, Miyazaki has resumed work on a new film How Do You Live?
Please see below for a listing of Retrospective show times and language versions. The format for all film screenings is DCP.
Tickets
Ticket prices for each show are as follows:
$7 Adult / $6 Youth (3-13) & Senior (63+)
OMSI and Japanese Garden members receive $1 off
Tickets may be purchased online at omsi.edu, at the OMSI front desk, or by telephone at 503-797-4000.
Schedule
Thursday, January 9
6:30pm | Porco Rosso (Dub)
8:15pm | When Marnie Was There (Dub)
Friday, January 10
6:30pm | Castle in the Sky (Dub) Introduction and Talk By Dr. Rob Ribera, Instructor of Film Studies at Portland State University
9:45pm | Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Sub)
Saturday, January 11
4:00pm | My Neighbor Totoro (Dub)
5:45pm | The Secret World of Arrietty (Dub)
7:30pm | Spirited Away (Dub)
9:45pm | Howl's Moving Castle (Dub)
Sunday, January 12
4:00pm | Ponyo (Dub)
6:00pm | Princess Mononoke (Sub)
Tuesday, January 14
6:30pm | Pom Poko (Dub) Introduction and Talk By Dr. Kristin Faurest, Director, Japanese Garden Training Center
Wednesday, January 15
6:30pm | Whisper of the Heart (Sub)
8:30pm | The Wind Rises (Dub)
Thursday, January 16
7:00pm | Reel Eats - Spirited Away (Dub) Reel Eats presents: Spirited Away accompanied by a set of curated bites matching key moments in the film.
Friday, January 17
5:30pm | Porco Rosso (Sub)
7:15pm | Howl's Moving Castle (Dub)
9:30pm | Castle In The Sky (Dub)
Saturday, January 18
4:30pm | Ponyo (Dub)
6:30pm | Kiki's Delivery Service (Dub)
8:30pm | Princess Mononoke (Dub)
Sunday, January 19
4:00pm | My Neighbor Totoro (Dub)
5:45pm | The Secret World of Arrietty (Dub)
7:30pm | Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Dub)
Monday, January 20
4:00pm | Kiki's Delivery Service (Dub)
6:00pm | Spirited Away (Dub)
Tuesday, January 21
6:30pm | When Marnie Was There (Sub)
8:30pm | Only Yesterday (Dub)
Wednesday, January 22
6:30pm | Grave of the Fireflies (Sub) Introduction and Talk By Dr. Rob Ribera, Instructor of Film Studies at Portland State University
Thursday, January 23
6:30pm | Whisper of the Heart (Dub)
8:30pm | The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Dub)
Friday, January 24
5:30pm | The Cat Returns (Dub)
7:00pm | Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Dub)
9:15pm | Howl's Moving Castle (Sub)
Saturday, January 25
4:00pm | My Neighbor Totoro (Dub)
5:45pm | The Secret World of Arrietty (Dub)
7:30pm | Porco Rosso (Dub)
9:15pm | Spirited Away (Sub)
Sunday, January 26
4:00pm | Kiki's Delivery Service (Dub)
6:00pm | Princess Mononoke (Dub)
Presented by:
Porco Rosso
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
This unsung treasure from Hayao Miyazaki nestles a tale of morality and identity inside a soaring airborne adventure — a tribute to early aviation and the reckless flyboys whose home was the open sky.
Set in a mid-war Italy swept by fascism, the film follows the life of Marco, a world-weary flying ace-turned bounty hunter who plies his trade above the waters of the Adriatic. Somewhere along the way a curse has transformed Marco’s head into the head of a pig, reflecting his loss of faith in humanity. Marco meets his polar opposite in the innocent and energetic 17-year-old Fio, an aspiring airplane designer, and the two are catapulted into an airborne adventure pursued by air pirates, the Italian army, and an egotistical American flying ace.
Miyazaki fans will be familiar with the writer/director’s fascination with flight; in this film, Miyazaki indulges his passion to the fullest. An avid aviation buff, Miyazaki’s airplane designs conform scrupulously to the technology of the period. But most impressive are the exhilarating aerial scenes: sweeping panoramas of wind, cloud, smoke and water and the breathtaking feeling of soaring though the air in an open cockpit.
Duration: 94 mins. | Rating: PG | Presented Jan. 9 and Jan. 25 dubbed in English and Jan. 17 in Japanese with English subtitles.
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
When Marnie Was There
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
A sweeping story of friendship, mystery and discovery that delivers stirring emotions and breathtaking animation as only Ghibli can.
When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. As the days go by, a nearly magnetic pull draws Anna back to the Marsh House again and again, and she begins to piece together the truth surrounding her strange new friend. Based on the young adult novel by Joan G. Robinson and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, When Marnie Was There has been described as “Ghibli Gothic,” with its moonlit seascapes, glowing orchestral score, and powerful dramatic portrayals that build to a stormy climax.
The English voicecast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Kiernan Shipka, Geena Davis, John C. Reilly, and Vanessa Williams.
Duration: 103 mins. | Rating: PG | Presented Jan. 9 dubbed in English and Jan. 21 in Japanese with English subtitles.
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
Castle In The Sky
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
A young girl with a mysterious crystal pendant falls out of the sky and into the arms and life of young Pazu. Together they search for a floating island in the sky, site of a long-dead civilization promising enormous wealth and power to those who can unlock its secrets.
Castle in the Sky is an early masterpiece of storytelling and filmmaking whose imaginative and ornately detailed vision presaged later films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.
Duration: 124 mins. | Rating: PG | Presented Jan. 10 & 17 dubbed in English
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
Technically not a Studio Ghibli film as it was released a year prior to the studio's founding, Nausicaä is considered by many to be Hayao Miyazaki's masterwork — and there are few films, animated or otherwise, of such sweeping scope and grandeur. Set in a devastated future world decimated by atmospheric poisons and swarming with gigantic insects, Nausicaä is the story of a young princess, both brave and innocent, whose love for all living things and passionate determination to understand the processes of nature lead her into terrible danger, sacrifice, and eventual triumph.
Like most Miyazaki films, there is neither good nor evil, but conflicting viewpoints, weaknesses, and power struggles. Throughout the film, his animation is awe-inspiring; the depiction of the poisoned forest in particular is a thing of transcendent beauty. Once the hallucinogenic strangeness of shape and color has been accepted, there is light, growth and life everywhere. Huge dragonfly-like creatures are accompanied by wonderful, evocative sounds of flight and movement. The lethal fungus plants glow, shimmer and shed spores like silent gleaming snowfalls. This is a film not to be missed.
Duration: 116 mins. | Rating: PG | Presented Jan. 19 & 24 dubbed in English and Jan. 10 in Japanese with English subtitles.
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
My Neighbor Totoro
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
One of the most endearing and internationally renowned films of all time, a film that Roger Ebert called “one of the five best movies” ever made for children, My Neighbor Totoro is a deceptively simple tale of two girls, Satsuki and Mei, who move with their father to a new house in the countryside. They soon discover that the surrounding forests are home to a family of Totoros, gentle but powerful creatures who live in a huge and ancient camphor tree and are seen only by children. Based on Miyazaki’s own childhood imaginings, Totoros look like oversized pandas with bunny ears and they take the girls on spinning-top rides through the tree tops and introduce them to a furry, multi-pawed Catbus — a nod to Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat.
But beneath the film’s playfulness and narrative simplicity lie depths of wisdom. As with much of Miyazaki’s work, at its core My Neighbor Totoro is about human-kind’s relationship to the Earth. The film is infused with an almost spiritual reverence for the power of nature (a philosophy tied to the ancient Shinto belief that every object in nature has a soul). Everything that surrounds us, from light-dappled tree groves, to the marvelous clouds, echoes the density and lusciousness of life. Protected by the Totoros, we know no harm will come to our two heroines in the forest’s sunlit glades and mysterious shadows. The girls may be awed by the power and majesty around them but they understand instinctively that nature has no malice. The viewer is left with a sense of wonder at the beauty, mystery and preciousness of the world all around us.
Duration: 86 mins. | Rating: G | Presented Jan. 11, 19 & 25 dubbed in English.
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
The Secret World of Arrietty
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
Arrietty, a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper. Like all little people, Arrietty remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to "borrow" scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn, a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty's family from the home and straight into danger.
Based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton, this 2010 film was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and scripted by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa. The year's highest grossing domestic release at the Japanese box office, it subsequently received the Animation of the Year award at the 34th Japan Academy Prize ceremony and achieved considerable international success.
Duration: 95 mins. | Rating: G | Presented Jan. 11, 19 & 25 dubbed in English
Spirited Away
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
Special Reel Eats Presentation on Jan. 16
Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning masterpiece Spirited Away was the biggest box office hit of all time in Japan and a film that helped redefine the possibilities of animation for American audiences and a generation of new filmmakers.
Wandering through an abandoned carnival site, ten-year-old Chichiro is separated from her parents and stumbles into a dream-like spirit world where she is put to work in a bathhouse for the gods, a place where all kinds of nonhuman beings come to refresh, relax and recharge. Here she encounters a vast menagerie of impossibly inventive characters — shape-shifting phantoms and spirits, some friendly, some less so — and must find the inner strength to outsmart her captors and return to her family. Combining Japanese mythology with Through the Looking Glass-type whimsy, Spirited Away cemented Miyazaki’s reputation as an icon of inspired animation and wondrous, lyrical storytelling.
Duration: 125 mins. | Rating: PG | Presented Jan. 11 & 20 dubbed in English and Jan. 25 in Japanese with English subtitles.
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
Howl's Moving Castle
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. But after this chance meeting, the young girl is turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Witch of the Waste.
Embarking on an incredible adventure to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl’s magical moving castle. As the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, and his relationship with Sophie deepens, our young grey heroine finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world. Howl's Moving Castle was the second Studio Ghibli film to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.
Duration: 114 mins. | Rating: PG | Presented Jan. 11 & 17 dubbed in English and Jan. 24 in Japanese with English subtitles.
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
Ponyo
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
Perfect for audiences of all ages, Ponyo centers on the friendship between five-year-old Sosuke and a magical goldfish named Ponyo, the young daughter of a sorcerer father and a sea-goddess mother. After a chance encounter, Ponyo yearns to become a human so she can be with Sosuke. As to be expected with Miyazaki, the film is awash in pure unbridled imagination and visual wonder — but it is the tender love, humor, and devotion exhibited by Ponyo and Sosuke that form the emotional heart of the film.
In 2009, the film was awarded with the 32nd Japan Academy Prize for both Animation of the Year and Outstanding Musical Achievement.
Duration: 101 mins. | Rating: G | Presented Jan. 12 & 18 dubbed in English
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.
Princess Mononoke
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
Princess Mononoke is a landmark of animation and a film of unsurpassed power and beauty. An epic story of conflict between humans, gods, and nature, the film has been universally acclaimed by critics and broke the box office record on its original release in Japan.
While defending his village from a demonic boar-god, the young warrior Ashitaka becomes afflicted with a curse that grants him super-human power in battle but will eventually take his life. Traveling west to find a cure or meet his destiny, he journeys deep into sacred depths of the Great Forest where he meets San (Princess Mononoke), a girl raised by wolf-gods who is waging battle against the human outpost of Iron Town, on the edge of the forest. The girl Mononoke is a force of nature – with blood smeared lips, riding bareback on a great white wolf, doing battle with both gods and humans, she is as iconic a figure as any from film, literature, or opera.
Duration: 134 mins. | Rating: PG-13 | Presented Jan. 18 & Jan. 26 dubbed in English and Jan. 12 in Japanese with English subtitles.
Pom Poko
Fifth Annual Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective: Jan 9- Jan 26
Introduction and Talk by Dr. Kristin Faurest, Director, Japanese Garden Training Center
6:30PM | Talk
7:30PM | Film Screening
In this brilliant and often overlooked Studio Ghibli masterpiece from Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Isao Takahata, the forests are filled with groups of magical tanuki, mischievous raccoon-like animals from Japanese folklore that are capable of shape-shifting from their standard raccoon form to practically any object.
The tanuki spend their days playing idly in the hillsides and squabbling over food – until the construction of a huge new Tokyo suburb clears the nearby forest and threatens their way of life. In an effort to defend their home, the tanuki learn to transform into humans and start playing tricks to make the workers think the construction site is haunted, ending in a spectacular night-time spirit parade, with thousands of ghosts, dragons and other magical creatures descending on the city — in an abundance of fantastical characters that would not be matched on screen by Studio Ghibli until Spirited Away.
Duration: 119 mins. | Rating: PG | Presented Jan. 14 dubbed in English
The Empirical Theater's Studio Ghibli Film Retrospective runs January 9 through January 26 and features a collection of some of the finest films from Japan's most renowned animation studio. Please call 503-797-4000 for more information.