The Alamo Drafthouse is showcasing the latest film from one of the greatest animators in history, Hayao Miyazaki: "The Boy And The Heron". The tale of a young boy going through a personal loss that finds himself having to navigate through a magical alternate world, it's already been called one of Miyazaki's most creative and innovative works (an incredibly bold statement when concerning the creator of "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke".) The Drafthouse itself puts it very nicely: "It tackles themes like loss, death, and how survivors can carry on and build it all back better, all without losing that sense of wonder and joy that Studio Ghibli is known for. It’s like a balm for the soul. A comforting hand on your shoulder from an old friend telling you that even though times are tough, everything’s going to be alright, and with films like this in the world, they just might be."
After the movie we'll meet in the lounge area behind the bar to talk the movie's exemplary qualities and how it fits with Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's other work. The Alamo Drafthouse is a superb venue for experiencing this movie, but they do things in a more strict manner than other theaters, from not letting people in after the movie starts to kicking out cell phone users during the screening. Their seating is also more limited than conventional theaters, so between that and the hype for the movie itself, getting tickets for the 11:20 AM screening in advance ($15) is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, which you can pick up from this link (I'm in Row 6 Seat 4): https://drafthouse.com/chicago/show/the-boy-and-the-heron-subtitled?cinemaId=1801&sessionId=7641
