Film lovers and curator society Lightcube, along with Delhi's favourite eatery Perch, is hosting a treat for all manga, anime, Japan and Studio Ghibli fans. Isao Takahata remains Japan – and indeed, one of the world’s greatest living filmmakers. One half of the famedi, Takahata has preserved – unlike the much more prolific Hayao – a rather measured, even leisurely pace at which he finishes films. As a result, while his filmography is not elaborate or extensive, it is permeated by titles of rare feeling: a preference for depth, over breadth. The six-film retrospective will cover Takahata’s major achievements, a couple of his unknown films and finally, the film that influenced him to become an animator.

This edition will showcase:

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

Simplistic yet undeniably adorable and filled with a sense of fun and adventure, Miyazaki’s My NeighbourTotoro is an outstanding piece of animation. Its runtime of 86 minutes is not too overwhelming, and in that time span, manages to convey the joy and beauty of childhood.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

In the latter part of World War II, a boy and his sister, orphaned when their mother is killed in the firebombing of Tokyo, are left to survive on their own in what remains of civilian life in Japan. The plot follows this boy and his sister as they do their best to survive in the Japanese countryside, battling hunger, prejudice, and pride in their own quiet, personal battle.