Get Spirited Away by this whirlwind celebration of all things Studio Ghibli over at the Dendy Newtown. The cinema is working through all 22 of the beloved Japanese animation house’s finest, including the Oscar-winning wonder that features a young girl named Chihiro, whose trip away with her parents gets very trippy indeed when shape-shifting dragons and mysterious witches appear.
Who doesn’t love the giant rabbit-thingummy from My Neighbor Totoro? The beautiful story features two young sisters, Mei and Satsuki, waiting out their mum’s stay at hospital while finding solace hanging with the cute critters they discover in the nearby forest.
Then there’s the magnificence of Howl’s Moving Castle, another Oscar triumph from the marvellous mind of Ghibli guru Hayao Miyazaki. Because sometimes when life gives you lemons/a horribly ageing curse, you need to set out on an adventure in a perambulating fortress. That’s what makes these magical movies so special. The embrace the absurd and without ever losing sight of the human heart, weaving the fairytale with the everyday, creating a pure salve for the soul.
The celebration lasts until October 14; check the website for session times. From sweet romance with a goldfish princess in Ponyo to a tiny family hiding in a human-sized home in Arrietty, via the silent, blissful majesty of The Red Turtle, there’s wonder galore to be had for all the family with this Dendy retrospective.
Want more movie magic? There's a live-action Pinocchio at the Italian Film Festival.