Hayao Miyazaki's 'My Neighbor Totoro' (1988)
Her Head in FilmsAugust 05, 202501:10:06

Hayao Miyazaki's 'My Neighbor Totoro' (1988)

In this episode, I talk about Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 film, "My Neighbor Totoro." It’s about two young girls who discover magical forest spirits after moving to a rural home with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. I recorded this episode in the wake of my own mother’s death, and I speak about how grief has shaped my experience of the film. I talk about watching the entire Studio Ghibli catalog and reflect on childhood, absence, and how nature and cinema offer solace when nothing else can.


All My Sources:

• Hayao Miyazaki, The Auteur of Anime (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/01/17/hayao-miyazaki-anime-studio-ghibli-profile)
• 9 Facts About My Neighbor Totoro (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/564973/my-neighbor-totoro-hayao-miyazaki-studio-ghibli-facts)
• Defining the World of My Neighbor Totoro (https://animationobsessive.substack.com/p/defining-the-world-of-my-neighbor)
• Everything You Need to Know About Japan's Iconic Studio Ghibli (https://mymodernmet.com/history-of-studio-ghibli/)
• Studio Ghibli: The Japanese Animation Powerhouse That Conquered The World (https://www.linearity.io/blog/studio-ghibli/)
• Hayao Miyazaki: The Life and Lasting Influence of the Studio Ghibli Auteur-Animator (https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/hayao-miyazaki-studio-ghibli-life-career-films/)
• What is Hildegard's Viriditas? (https://www.healthyhildegard.com/hildegards-viriditas/)

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