Tender and profound, Miyazaki's animated masterpiece captures the magic of childhood and healing power of nature with a visit from your favorite forest spirit.

In 1958 Japan, Satsuki and Mei move into a charming, old house in the countryside with their father, a university professor, to be closer to their mother recovering from illness in a nearby hospital. The girls, still young and filled with wonder, soon find that the house is inhabited by magical spirits, as is the hollow of a large camphor tree behind their house. As they grow and cope with the absence of their mother, the tree's guardian spirit, gentle and furry Totoro, watches over them and guides them through the challenges of youth.
 
Written during a period of rapid economic growth in Japan, Totoro embodies Miyazaki's concerns about losing touch with nature, the importance of family, and the healing power of reconnecting with both. Through spirits heavily inspired by Japanese Shintoism, he transports us into nature's fantastical world of wonder, personifying its beauty and highlighting the importance of living alongside it.

Part of the Dartmouth Film Society series "Myths Revisited"

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