When Marnie Was There

When Marnie Was There is the latest and perhaps the last film from the legendary Japanese Studio Ghibli. The two giants of the studio, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata have both gone into retirement and the studio announced that they will not be making any more films for now. Takahata and Miyazaki are responsible for some of Ghibli's greatest films such as Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies. When Marnie Was There is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and is about the introvert girl Anna who is sent to the countryside to live with relatives. She becomes obsessed with a deserted mansion and the girl who lives there who may or may not be real.

Ghibli's films usually contains imagination and the focus is almost always on children but despite that, the films are not only meant for them and also often include deep meanings and thoughts. Ghibli has always been incredibly skillful in drawing and creating magnificent images and When Marnie Was There is no exception. The beautiful Japanese landscapes makes you want to travel there immediately and see the country for yourself. The film is told like a detective story and Anna finds and puts the clues together one by one. She is our guide throughout the film and what she experiences, we experience too.

When Marnie Was There has a story I believe many can relate to. Not being able to find your own place in this world and to feel like an outcast. Anna searches like many children do, for their place in society and at the same time she's trying to understand her life and situation. The film is also about strong friendship and love and why we are drawn specifically to some people. It's always hard for me to try and summarize Ghibli's films and explain why people should watch them. When Marnie Was There is a tale that absolutely works well as an entry to the magical world that is Studio Ghibli.