The Japanese animation godfather and thankfully worst retiree in the bizz (The Wind Rises was supposed to be his final feature), Hayao Miyazaki, spoils us once again with a fabulous fable only he can dream up. Always starting out with familiar settings, Miyazaki tells the story of a young boy haunted by the loss of his mother and forced out of his hometown by the firebombs of WWII. Once settled in the countryside the boy encounters a heron that ushers him into a strange world full of magical life lessons and cathartic encounters. The previews are presented with Japanese language and English subtitles.