The Boy - and The Heron on my neighbor's roof

Written by Bruna Ugá.  

    A few days ago I took these pictures of a beautiful heron that had landed on the roof of one of my neighbors. It wasn't the first time I had seen a heron on that same spot, but I always feel happy when I see one of those. Even more so after watching the movie The Boy and The Heron  by Studio Ghibli because of course the bird comes here to take me on a mysterious and beautiful journey. Or maybe it's just chilling on the roof. I still have to figure this out.

The day I got a movie poster

Poster from "The Boy and The Heron". Jan. 2024.

    This may be a good opportunity to show the movie poster that I got at the cinema Lab-1 Eindhoven. I had been wishing to see the movie for some time but I've got to admit the cold weather was really inviting to stay home and not adventure myself outside. But one day I saw a promotion at Lab-1's Instagram profile in which they invited followers to share a story that had a similar premise with The Boy and The Heron: " otherworlds" in literature, films and mythology. I almost didn't reply because I had seen some comments with the ideas I first thought of, like Pan's Labyrinth, Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland, until I remembered of a Brazilian TV series called Cidade Invisível (Invisible City). I'll share my response synopsis below:  

" It is a Brazilian production that presents a world hidden within our own world where mystical creatures from the Brazilian culture live among humans. In the second season there's a place called "Marangatu", a sacred dimension accessed only by these creatures and by those who are trusted by the indigenous people who secure this place. The series depicts how the action of humans negatively affects the mystical creatures which of course is a parallel to how we affect marginalized individuals and their cultures. I recommend you watch it because it's a great way to learn about some of Brazil's culture especially from the North region."

    I'm glad to have shared this comment because I got to be one of the lucky people who got the poster for free. I had the idea to get movie posters for my house decor, so this might be a good start. Also it was the push I needed to go back to movie theaters even if it meant facing the cold winter weather in the Netherlands.

Beautiful and dark imagery in "The Boy and The Heron"

    I'm not writing a movie review because it's been many weeks since I saw it, but I can say that I enjoyed it as much as I always enjoy films from Studio Ghibli. They always have a magical atmosphere, beautiful scenarios and interesting plots. 

    I was a bit confused with some aspects especially when it comes to the character of the elderly man and his role in that world. But that still wasn't enough to harm my impressions of the film because I had lots of fun watching it and was mesmerized by everything on screen. Its darker tone and subjects stood out to me through more violent scenes and imagery (I can't shake off my mind an agonizing bird's death) and the affects of World War II in the beginning of the film. Last week I saw a video ( click here to watch it) from a content creator who I really enjoy, Mikannn, in which she explained that the story of the film is a homage to the apprentice-mentor relationship between Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata , both founders of the studio and directors of many of its films. Miyazaki himself is the director and screenwriter of The Boy and The Heron  and after learning more about his past I can see what inspired some of the themes seen in the film. 

    It has won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and even though I haven't seen all the films in that category - I still have to watch Nimona and Robot Dreams - it was a well deserved prize in my opinion. And who knows, maybe next time my visitor will bring his Oscar statuette so I can take a look at it.

Hero on the roof. Mar. 2024. 

 

Hero on the roof. Mar. 2024. 

Hero on the roof. Mar. 2024.