Ghibli at GFC 2025: When Marnie Was There (2014)
- Tue, Jun 10
- Wed, Jun 11
- Thu, Jun 12
- Fri, Jun 13
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi Run Time: 103 min. Release Year: 2014 Language: Japanese
Starring: Kasumi Arimura, Nanako Matsushima, Sara Takatsuki, Susumu Terajima, Toshie Negishi
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles | Matinee screenings presented in English
A Film Center tradition, embark on a magical journey into the enchanting world of Studio Ghibli with Ghibli at GFC 2025 this spring.
About the film:
When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside, she stumbles upon an old mansion, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.
As the days go by, a nearly magnetic pull draws Anna back to the Marsh House again and again, and she begins to piece together the truth surrounding her strange new friend. Based on the young adult novel by Joan G. Robinson and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty), When Marnie Was There has been described as “Ghibli Gothic,” with its moonlit seascapes, glowing orchestral score, and powerful dramatic portrayals that build to a stormy climax.
The English voicecast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Kiernan Shipka, Geena Davis, John C. Reilly, and Vanessa Williams.
About the filmmaker:
Hiromasa Yonebayashi is a Japanese animator and director. He joined Studio Ghibli and worked on their projects beginning with Princess Mononoke (1997). He made his directorial debut with The Secret World of Arrietty (2010), becoming the youngest director of a theatrical film produced by the studio. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2015 for his second film, When Marnie Was There (2014). After leaving Studio Ghibli, he established Studio Ponoc and directed Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017), and returned as a key animator on the Academy Award-winning The Boy and the Heron (2023).
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