Every morning, an old man stacks 13 blocks. If he doesn’t, the world will disappear. This world is one he built out of his imagination. It defies the ordinary flow of time, occupied by ghosts, unborn souls, and gigantic bloodthirsty birds. But the old man can’t keep stacking these blocks forever, and without a successor, it may all be destroyed.
This is part of the story of The Boy and the Heron, the latest anime masterpiece from director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Released in July 2023, this fantasy film follows a Japanese boy during World War II who befriends a talking grey heron. Some parts of the story are inspired by the 1937 novel How Do You Live? Other elements are based on Miyazaki’s own childhood.
This year, the movie has received numerous awards for best animated feature film, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Oscar, also
