Grave of the Fireflies
Actors: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara
Rating: 12
Summary: In the aftermath of World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enemy raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children’s lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring. ‘Grave Of The Fireflies’ is a tale of the true tragedy of war and innocence lost, not only of the abandoned young, but of an entire nation. Isao Takahata’s rightly revered and thought-provoking anime was winner of a special award at the 1989 Blue Ribbon awards and the Adult’s Jury award at the 1994 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.