Rare sequel to My Neighbour Totoro to play at Cannes

Cannes, France – Four rare short films from Japanese animation’s Studio Ghibli, including a sequel to My Neighbour Totoro (1988), will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, organisers said on May 18.

The screenings will be part of an “unprecedented event” on May 20, as the legendary animation group becomes the first collective to receive an honorary Palme d’Or.

The accolade is typically bestowed on individuals.

Three of the four short films have never been screened outside of Japan and come “straight from the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka”, said an official Cannes press statement.

Among the films is Mei And The Baby Cat Bus (2002), billed as a “mini-sequel” to Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s classic My Neighbour Totoro.

Miyazaki, 83, will not personally attend the French festival, but his son Goro Miyazaki will take the stage for the ceremony on May 20, organisers said.

Hayao Miyazaki makes few public appearances. Despite announcing his retirement more than once, he continues to work and was back in cinemas in 2023 with The Boy And The Heron.

The Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli, founded 40 years ago, is beloved worldwide for its masterpieces such as Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001) and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004).

My Neighbour Totoro follows two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move with their father to the countryside, where they come across Totoro and other forest creatures.

With its whimsical pastels and post-war Japanese countryside setting, the movie became an instant classic.

The film’s characters have become cultural icons with the eponymous wood spirit Totoro serving as the mascot for Studio Ghibli.

The other three short films set to be screened on May 20 are House Hunting, Boro The Caterpillar and Mr Dough And The Egg Princess. AFP