Spirited Away

Tuesday 23rd August 2008 | 12noon

2hr 5

Arguably the greatest example of the work of master animator Hayao Miyazaki, the film opens with ten-year-old Chihiro on the long car journey with her family to their new home. When they come upon a blocked tunnel, her parents decide to have a look around, but Chihiro finds it scary.  Beyond the tunnel they discover an abandoned amusement park. As Chihiro's bad feeling for the place continues, her parents discover an empty eatery that smells of fresh food. Her mother and father help themselves to the feast for free and suddenly turn into giant pigs. Chihiro is terrified and runs away. She learns that this peculiar place, where all sorts of bizarre gods and monsters reside, is a holiday resort for the supernatural after their exhausting tour of duty in the human world. Soon after befriending a boy named Haku, Chihiro learns the rules of the land: one, she must work , as laziness of any kind is not tolerated; and two, she must take on the name of Sen. If she forgets her real name, Haku tells her, then she will never be permitted to leave and find her parents.