Friends of Mukai will soon open its popular Studio Ghibli Festival, scheduled every two weeks on Tuesday evenings, starting June 25, in partnership with Vashon Theatre.
Film screenings are free to the public with a suggested donation of $5 per person at the door. The theater fills up quickly, so be sure to arrive early for good seats and to avoid long lines at concessions.
The first film in the series, “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 25.
The 1984 masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki is the post-apocalyptic tale of Princess Nausicaa, who lives in the arid Valley of the Wind, where she possesses a special ability to communicate with the colossal insects that roam the dangerous wilderness. Guided by a wise warrior, she embarks on a quest to heal the planet and end the chaos and suffering that plague the world.
Adam Foster, founder of the Mukai’s StudioGhibli Festival, said that Miyazaki’s films have strong, well-written female leads and strong environmental messages.
“‘Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind’ is a good example, because it’s about a princess trying to convince warring tribes of men that the only way to survive environmental destruction is by learning to live in harmony with nature,” he said.
Miyazaki, who at age 83 is one of the world’s most revered filmmakers, has spoken eloquently about his life’s work and purpose.
“It is the fate of modern life that we repeatedly lose touch with nature, the environment, the planet,” Miyazaki said. “But we try to regain it again and again. It’s like a circle. In children’s hearts and souls when they’re born into the world, nature already exists deep inside them. So what I want to do in my work is tap into their souls.”
Other 7 p.m. screenings scheduled in the series are Miyazaki’s masterworks “Castle in the Sky” (July 9); “Spirited Away” (July 23); “My Neighbor Totoro” (Aug. 6); and “Princess Mononoke” (Aug. 20). All films will be shown in English-language versions.
Visit mukaifarmandgarden.org for additional information about the shows.
