TEHRAN – The new season of the cinematic event “Watch & Criticism” has returned to the Tehran Book Garden with screenings and discussions of four popular animated adaptations.

The program started on Wednesday and will run for another three weeks, held on Wednesdays. In addition to the screenings, each of the animated works will be critically reviewed and discussed in the presence of animation critics, Honaronline reported.

“The Iron Giant” directed by Brad Bird was shown on January 28 and a review session was held by Hassan Sonobari.

“Howl’s Moving Castle” by Hayao Miyazaki will be screened on February 17 and reviewed by Namieh Esfahanian, “Grave of the Fireflies” by Isao Takahata is set to be shown on February 25 and reviewed by Hassan Sonobari, and “Totto-chan: The Girl at the Window” by Shinnosuke Yakuwa will be screened on March 4 and reviewed by Namieh Esfahanian.

“The Iron Giant” is a 1999 American animated science fiction film. Loosely based on Ted Hughes's novel, “The Iron Man,” it is set during the Cold War in 1957. The film centers on a young boy named Hogarth Hughes, who discovers and befriends a giant robot of extraterrestrial origin. With the help of beatnik artist Dean McCoppin, Hogarth attempts to prevent the United States' military, who have been alerted by paranoid federal agent Kent Mansley, from finding and vanquishing the Giant.

The film was nominated for several awards, winning nine Annie Awards out of 15 nominations. Through home video releases and television syndication, the film garnered a cult following and is widely regarded as a modern animated classic and one of the greatest animated films of all time.

“Howl's Moving Castle” is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film based on Diana Wynne Jones' 1986 novel. It is set in a fictional kingdom where both magic and early 20th-century technology are prevalent, against the backdrop of a war with another kingdom. It tells the story of Sophie, a young milliner who is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his refusal to fight for the king.

Influenced by Miyazaki's opposition to the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003, the film contains strong anti-war themes. Miyazaki stated that he “had a great deal of rage” about the Iraq War, which led him to make a film that he felt would be poorly received in the United States. It also explores the theme of old age, depicting age positively as something that grants the protagonist freedom. The film carries messages about the value of compassion. The film differs significantly in theme from the novel; while the novel focuses on challenging class and gender norms, the film focuses on love, personal loyalty, and the destructive effects of war.

The film received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its visuals and Miyazaki's presentation of the themes. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards. It won several other awards, including four Tokyo Anime Awards and a Nebula Award for Best Script.

“Grave of the Fireflies” is a 1988 Japanese animated war film. Based on Akiyuki Nosaka's 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name, the film is set in Kobe shortly after its bombing by the U.S. Air Force, and follows two orphaned siblings who desperately struggle to survive during the final months of the Pacific War.

It received universal acclaim and is considered by many to be Takahata's masterpiece, one of the greatest animated films of all time, and a major work of Japanese animation. It garnered particular praise for its emotional weight and is often cited as one of the saddest films ever made.

“Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window” is a 2023 Japanese animated biographical film based on an autobiographical novel of the same title by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. 

It tells Kuroyanagi's story as a child (nicknamed Totto) of going to Tomoe Gakuen, and learning new things as Japan descends into war. The film was nominated for the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize in the Best Animation Film category.

The “Watch & Criticism” series consists of themed screenings of the world’s finest films and animations, accompanied by critical review sessions. The first season of this event was held last summer, featuring screening and criticism of masterpieces by Hayao Miyazaki, and was warmly welcomed by animation enthusiasts. 

The second season of the event took place in autumn, coinciding with Book Week, and included screenings of selected popular works of adaptation in cinema at the Tehran Book Garden. 

SS/SAB