"Pom Poko" (Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko)
New York International Children's Film Festival will be presenting a rarely screened Studio Ghibli film called, Pom Poko, directed by Isao Takahata, long time colleague of Hayao Miyazaki and second creative head of Ghibli.
Pom Poko will be screened on December 12th and 13th, both shows beginning at 11AM. The film will be presented at the IFC Center where tickets are available. Adult tickets are priced at $12.50, while senior and child tickets are available for only $8.50.
Originally debuting in 1994 at one hour and fifty-nine minutes in length, Pom Poko will be shown in its English dub version at IFC. The tale of Pom Poko is centered around the Japanese folklore of the tanuki, or raccoon dogs. These mischievous, lazy and sociable creatures live in a forest that has recently come under the threat of a construction crew, which is leveling nearby habitats to make way for a new Tokyo suburb. In order to defend their home, the tanuki use their transformation abilities to morph into humans. They then begin to play tricks on the crew and site, so they can frighten the men into thinking the forest is haunted so they will leave the animals in peace. Pom Poko is a beautiful anime with one of Studio Ghibli's famous underlying messages, this one being to stop human destruction before spirits, magic and animals are lost forever.
Takahata is credited as coming up with the original story, screenplay, as well as directing the piece. He is also responsible for Studio Ghibli's films, Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and My Neighbors the Yamadas. He produced Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Laputa: The Castle in the Sky and I Can Hear the Sea, while working as the musical director for Kiki's Delivery Service.
Located: IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10014
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