The Cinematheque

“Hayao Miyazaki’s first masterpiece … Consistently funny, optimistic, and exciting—even for little ones.”

Tom Huddleston, Time Out

Film Club 2019 kicks off—and goes airborne!—with anime titan Hayao Miyazaki’s magical coming-of-age tale, one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved masterpieces. Resourceful Kiki is a young witch-in-training; her best friend is Jiji, a chatty black cat. It is tradition that, upon turning 13, all apprentice witches leave family and home and set out into the wider world to find their path and learn their craft. When that time comes for Kiki, she and Jiji embark on flying broom, landing the next morning in a distant seaside city. There, Kiki establishes a high-flying delivery service with a local baker, but self-doubt soon threatens both her aerial ability and her relationship with Jiji. Released the same year as Disney’s The Little Mermaid, a movie whose opposing lessons include forfeiting one’s female voice (literally), Miyazaki’s enchanting and empowering film is a beautiful, timeless story of a young woman finding her way in the world.

In consideration of li’l tykes in attendance, the English-dubbed version will screen.