Christmas is around the corner! This Christmas promises to be a special one! CineClub will host its first Christmas party, together with an exclusive free preview screening – the long-hoped for THE BOY AND THE HERON by Miyazaki Hayao! The Japanese anime master returns to the big screen with yet another magnificent animated fantasy film, inviting viewers to go along with the young hero Mahito, under the guidance of a heron, on an adventure into a fantastical realm where the living and the dead co-exist, as he comes to discover himself and the secrets of the world. Local filmmaker Adam Wong will conduct a sharing session (in Cantonese) after the screening.
Synopsis
Tokyo, near the end of World War II in the Pacific. 11 year old Mahito loses his mother in a fire, and takes refuge with his father in his mother’s hometown. They move into an old mansion on a large estate, which also includes a secluded tower that has become a nesting spot for a gray heron. Mahito struggles with complex feelings toward his father, who runs a factory supplying the war effort, and his new stepmother Natsuko, who happens to be his mother’s younger sister. To make matters worse, he becomes alienated at school. Mahito was told that the tower was built by his mother’s granduncle, who eventually disappeared inside it, never to be seen again.
One day, Natsuko suddenly goes missing, so Mahito ventures into the tower to look for her. Led by the gray heron, he unwittingly ends up embarking on an odyssey into another world. Mahito finds himself in a bizarre realm where the living and the dead exist side by side. As he encounters its astonishing inhabitants, he comes to learn of the secrets of the world.
2023 | 124mins | Japanese | Chinese & English Subtitles
Don’t forget to come earlier for our party! We will be serving delectable snacks and drinks. Do come to chat, have fun, enjoy yourself – and bring home a tailor-made Christmas gift: mug warmer & wireless charger in one! All are free and exclusive for CineClub subscribers only! Please be reminded that both the party and the preview screening have to be registered in one go. So mark your calendar!
Date : 7.12.2023 (Thursday)
Party Time: From 6pm onwards
Party Venue: Fast Gourmet (Shop L608, 6/F, The ONE, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui)
Screening Time: 7:30pm
Screening Venue: MCL The ONE Cinema House 4 (8/F, The ONE)
CineClub subscribers can register online from 4 December (Monday) at 10am. Limited tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please click here for registration.