Like every film by master Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, this comparatively early film (it is the third of Miyazaki’s films for Studio Ghibli), ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ touchingly and humorously evokes a world of childhood imagination. What opens the door to the world of the tree spirit Totoro and the film’s other forest creatures is – as is often the case in Miyazaki’s films – something going wrong in a child’s life. Here, Satsuki and her troublesome younger sister Mei move to the country with their father to be close to their mother, who is in hospital recovering from a long illness. Left to their own devices, the girls discover the ‘totoros’, woodland spirits of changeable size, and the unforgettable ‘cat-bus’ – all invisible to adult eyes, but all ready to help the girls when their mother’s illness seems to be worsening.

Language : Japanese
Subtitles : English
Duration : 86mins
Genre : Animation, Fantasy
Year : 1988
Rating : G