Grave of the Fireflies
Filmfest 2005

An emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation. Since the earliest days, most animated films have been "cartoons" for children and families. Recent animated features such as PRINCESS MONONOKE and THE IRON GIANT have touched on more serious themes, and the TOY STORY movies and classics like BAMBI have had moments that moved some audience members to tears. But these films exist within safe confines; they inspire tears, but not grief. GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES is a powerful dramatic film that happens to be animated, and I know what the critic Ernest Rister means when he compares it to SCHINDLER'S LIST and says, "It is the most profoundly human animated film I've ever seen." Roger Ebert.com, Jan 1, 1988