The Boy and the Heron at New People Cinema

SCREENING AT NEW PEOPLE CINEMA in JAPANTOWN

Part of Nippon Vibes: Japanese Cinema Weekend at New People

Following its reopening in historic San Francisco Japantown, New People Cinema continues its collaboration with The Roxie through a series of Japanese cinema pop-ups. After launching earlier this year, Nippon Vibes returns for its second edition—this time built around the theme “Reframing.” Through the eyes of Japan’s most visionary filmmakers across generations, join us for a cinematic journey that reshapes how you see the world and its “truth.”

Already hailed as a masterpiece in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron begins as a story of grief and gradually unfolds into a vast, dreamlike world of imagination.

Set during World War II, it follows young Mahito, who, after a family tragedy, moves to the countryside and encounters a mysterious gray heron that leads him to an abandoned tower—and into a strange, ever-shifting realm.

Drawing from Miyazaki’s own childhood and literary influences, the film evolves into a visually stunning, deeply personal work—at once intimate and expansive, and among the most profound achievements of one of cinema’s great artists. Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.

Presented by Roxie @ New People