My Neighbor Totoro
Film
DFS: Myths Revisited

My Neighbor Totoro

November 01, 2026

Tender and profound, Miyazaki's animated masterpiece captures the magic of childhood and healing power of nature with a visit from your favorite forest spirit.

My Neighbor Totoro - Official Trailer

 

In 1958 Japan, Satsuki and Mei move into a charming, old house in the countryside with their father, a university professor, to be closer to their mother recovering from illness in a nearby hospital. The girls, still young and filled with wonder, soon find that the house is inhabited by magical spirits, as is the hollow of a large camphor tree behind their house. As they grow and cope with the absence of their mother, the tree's guardian spirit, gentle and furry Totoro, watches over them and guides them through the challenges of youth.
 
Written during a period of rapid economic growth in Japan, Totoro embodies Miyazaki's concerns about losing touch with nature, the importance of family, and the healing power of reconnecting with both. Through spirits heavily inspired by Japanese Shintoism, he transports us into nature's fantastical world of wonder, personifying its beauty and highlighting the importance of living alongside it.

D: Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, 1988, 1h26m

Part of the Dartmouth Film Society series "Myths Revisited"

Myths Revisited Film Series

Digger
Hop Film Now

Great Movies. Every Weekend.

Learn More

Contact Us

Visiting Information

Black Family Visual Arts Center
22 Lebanon Street
Hanover, NH

Directions to Venue

Coming Up Next

Get Tickets