Jung & Film – Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away (2001)

PRESENTERS: John Gosling, Renee Ramsden, Grace Reid
Venue: CG Jung Centre, 87 Main Road, Rosebank, Cape Town 7700
Time: Friday 22 November 2019 18:00 for 18:30

Run time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Please book your ticket through the SAAJA Office by emailing saaja@mweb.co.za

Hayao Miyazaki’s film, ‘Spirited Away’, enjoys a cult classic status all over the world and is perhaps the most well-known of the popular Studio Ghibli brand. However, there is much more to the film than meets the eye. ‘Spirited Away’ is the story of Chihiro, a young Japanese Girl who gets lost while
exploring an old bath house with her parents, only to become trapped in a spirit world in which her name is taken from her. She embarks on a journey with the help of her newfound friend, Huku, to retrieve her name and return to her parents. During this time, she undergoes a ‘coming of age’ caused by the challenges that face her. In the conclusion of the film, Chihiro is reunited with her parents and is seen as having matured in love, kindness and sincerity.

“Spirited Away” draws heavily from Shinto traditions. Shinto is a religion that believes in the interconnected and creative life force of humans, animals and nature. This “generative, immanent force” (kami) exists within everything. In order to experience the presence of any one of these aspects of nature, an individual is required to have a pure and cheerful heart/mind (kokoro). To return to kokoro, a person must undergo an action of spiritual cleansing, with the intended result to once again act in sincerity towards others. (James W. Boyd, Tetsuya Nishimura (2004) ‘Shinto Perspectives in Miyaki’s Anime Film “Spirited Away” 8(2) Journal of Religion and Film.)