The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Still from The Boy & The Heron

To all the animation enthusiasts, anime fans, and just about anyone who enjoys an inspiring story, Zawya Cinema has a treat for us all. This past month, we got a chance to witness Studio Ghibli’s masterpieces, Spirited Away (2003’s Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature) and Howl’s Moving Castle, created by Hayao Miyazaki, on the big screen at Zawya, and the excitement just keeps getting better and better. On the 27th of December, Zawya will screen Miyazaki’s last film, The Boy and the Heron, which was released internationally earlier this month. The movie has already become the first foreign film to top the North American Box Office, and it has granted the director his first Golden Globe nomination.

Image via Polygon

Considered by many to be the world’s greatest animator, Miyazaki is not only an icon in Japan or the animation industry but also a cinematic genius and a storyteller worldwide. Though many consider him a “Japanese Walt Disney,” fans of Miyazaki’s work would beg to differ. His films rarely tell tales of good versus evil but rather the pursuit of harmony in an imperfect world and the transition from childhood to adulthood. In The Boy and the Heron, the film suggests (similarly to most of his other works) that the key to maturing is retaining a part of your childhood – dreams, feelings, memories, and faith in magic that bring us back to our most intimate selves.

Still from The Boy & The Heron

Many were sceptical when Miyazaki announced this would be his last film. In 2013, he said that his then-upcoming film, The Wind Rises, would be his last. The film grew to become a Ghibli fan-favourite and cemented his place as a timeless artist. But considering his age, Miyazaki is now 82 years old, it very well could be that this will be his last. So far, those who have had the chance to watch the film have considered it to be a masterpiece – it’s even got a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Still from Spirited Away