Studio Ghibli is revered all over the world for their films that feature lush animation and inventive stories with universal themes.  As the studio’s latest film, The Red Turtle, hits theaters, we decided to take a closer look at the companies’ first international production.  Directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit, and completely dialogue free, The Red Turtle follows a man who finds himself stranded on an island with a giant turtle.  Diving into the film’s sweeping look at nature, the human experience, mysticism, parenting, and all things in between, there is plenty to dissect in this thought-provoking film.  We also take a moment to discuss our short film picks of the week: Tsunami and There Will Come Soft Rains.

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Show Notes:

  • 3:38 – Tsunami by Sofie Nørgaard Kampmark
  • 12:14 – There Will Come Soft Rains by Nazim Tulyakhodzayev
  • 20:34 – The Red Turtle by Michaël Dudok de Wit
  • Interview with Michaël Dudok de Wit

Cohost of Changing Reels, Courtney Small from Cinema Axis, consumes everything cinema from big budget spectacles to small foreign fare. He has contributed pieces to various publications and has been a guest on several film related podcasts.   Courtney is also a member of the Online Film Critics Society as well as the Canadian Association of Online Film Critics.

Cohost and Editor of Changing Reels, Andrew Hathaway from Can’t Stop the Movies, is more of a hermit than his charming cohost.  He spends what may be seen as an unhealthy amount of time analyzing cinematic fare as light as Magic Mike XXL and as enigmatic as The Midnight Swim. When he’s not taking a deep dive into cinema he’s contributed to books like Thoughts on The Thin Man. The partnership between Andrew and Courtney started through their podcast series on the movies of Denis Villeneuve and blossomed into Changing Reels.