Chihiro and her parents are moving to their new house when they get lost. They get out of the car and walk through a tunnel that leads them to a town where there seems to be no one. They find restaurants with food displayed, and Chihiro’s parents start to eat in excess and will subsequently be transformed into pigs. Chihiro would like to escape but can’t. She is saved by Haku, who explains that if she wants to survive and save her parents, she must ask Yubaba, the witch who runs the bathhouse, for work. Yubaba takes away her name, and Chihiro becomes Sen. Sen understands that Haku has also been ripped off his name and cannot remember it. After several twists and turns, Sen remembers who Haku is, gives him back his name, and then saves her parents. It is a very mystic film, with loads of depressed spirits that have lost their way and their true identity. Environment, passage from child to adult, and consumerism are some of the themes. Beautiful.
“Once you’ve met someone you never really forget them. It just takes a while for your memories to return.”
Original title : 千と千尋の神隠し
Original version in Japanese – Watched with English subtitles