If you saw the international trailer for the hand-drawn Japanese animated film, Giovanni’s Island, you may have been intrigued by its lovely animation and interesting premise – Russian and Japanese people live together on an island, post-World War II. You may also be wondering how an inhabitant of the U.S.A. could view this film in its entirety. Well, if you live in New York, viewing it will become possible very soon.
According to twitchfilm, Giovanni’s Island will screen “on March 22nd at the SVA Theatre,” also adding that “[it] will be the film’s international premiere.”
The film is showing as part of the the New York International Children’s Film Festival, which will take place in March from the 7th to the 30th, and feature several other international animated films including Ernest & Celestine, Aunt Hilda!, and Patema Inverted.
The Film Festival provides us with this plot summary of Giovanni’s Island:
Giovanni and Campanella, nicknamed after characters in the beloved Japanese novel Night on the Galactic Railroad, live a free-spirited island life, chasing each other along beach-side cliffs and endlessly dreaming about adventures on the Galactic Railroad. But when the Red army occupies their tiny island following Japan’s surrender, they are suddenly confronted with an influx of foreigners – including a peculiar and enticing new neighbor, the golden-haired Tanya, daughter of the Soviet commander. Learning about each other’s exotic and strange cuisines, music and language creates a quick bond for the children – even while the occupation brings on heavier implications for their families. An elegance and beauty permeates the hand-drawn animation and symphonic score of the film, creating a timeless drama where moments of emotional impact are tempered by animated flights of whimsy and fantasy, as the brothers prove much larger in spirit and strength than their rosy-cheeked, small frames would suggest.
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