Everyday Life: The Films of Isao Takahata

One of Studio Ghibli’s three co-founders, alongside filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata (1935–2018) has created a body of work that is delightfully eclectic. This retrospective includes all of Takahata’s Ghibli features, beginning with the stunning World War II tragedy Grave of the Fireflies, as well as a selection of the theatrical films he made earlier in his career. Many of these earlier works also feature collaboration from a young Miyazaki, whom Takahata met when both were working at the famous Toei Animation studio. Altogether, Takahata’s films reflect a warmhearted filmmaker fond of stories about quirky families and enchanted creatures. Unlike Miyazaki, Takahata did not draw and perhaps due to this fact he consistently experimented with different animation styles throughout his career, sometimes making films that looked like Studio Ghibli productions but sometimes venturing into radically different styles.