As we marvel today over the creations that come out of animation studios such as Pixar, it’s hard not to think of the influence Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli has had on contemporary animation. Over the years Studio Ghibli has become known for it’s high quality hand drawn animation and humanistic stories filled with worthy themes, but what makes Studio Ghibli special in my eyes, is the originality and spirituality directors such as Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata infuse into their works. No matter how old you are, the magic and beauty of a Studio Ghibli film draws you in, taking you on an adventure layered with meaning and adventure, and this creativity is not lost on Hollywood. Laputa, which was released in 1986, is a fine example of how timeless Studio Ghibli films are, and this film is perfect for the whole family. 

Friday 24^th July … Laputa 

Laputa: Castle in the Sky, as it was known when released in the United States, was the first film to come out of Studio Ghibli, although it was the second film Miyazaki and Takahata worked on together after Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (released several years earlier.) It tells the story of Sheeta, a mysterious girl who floats to the ground, and is rescued by a young boy called Pazu. Sheeta is being chased by a gang of pirates keen to get their hands on a powerful family heirloom she carries, and together with Pazu, they venture off in search of a ancient, mythical floating land called Laputa. The film won the Animage Anime Grand Prix in 1986 and in 2003 was dubbed into English by Disney. This version features Anna Paquin and James Van Der Beek voicing the characters of Sheeta and Pazu. 

Monday 20^th July … Suskind 

Director Rudolf van den Berg’s Suskind tells the true story of a German Jew who escaped to Amsterdam during the Second Word War and managed to rescue 1000 Jewish children from the Nazis. Walter Suskind was a businessman and in 1942 the Jewish Council of Amsterdam put in charge of deporting Dutch Jews to Westbrok transit camp. Apart from making Walter’s wife a more sympathetic character than she was, the film has been commented on as being an accurate depiction of events. Obviously such sensitive subject matter is always going to be controversial and yet but van den Berg’s background in as a documentary filmmaker comes in to play nicely. As moving and thought provoking as it is, it’s up to you as to whether you see Walter Suskind as a hero who redeemed himself by saving children, or as the man who deported hundreds of thousand of Jews to the death camps across Europe.  

Saturday 25^th July  … Nightcrawler 

The American dream is given a twisted makeover in writer director Dan Gilroy’s edgy drama. An ethically and morally challenged young man called Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) goes to extreme lengths in order to become a successful ‘nightcrawler’ or freelance cameraman who responds to police call outs and sells the footage to local television stations. It’s a clever, dark story that mocks our voyeuristic desire for bloody and salacious news by turning the person who sources it into a business success, and a monster. Even though the character of Bloom arrives fully formed at the start of the film, Gyllenhaal’s wide eyed, creepy and unemotional portrayal, makes Bloom one of the memorable characters of 2014.