Wolf Children

Yuki and Ame may seem like ordinary children, seemingly untouched by the hardships of the world. But when their father—the last descendant of an ancient line of werewolves—dies, their mother, an ordinary young woman who once fell in love with a man who turned out to be a wolf, is forced to move away from the big city and start over. Spanning thirteen years, the film tells a story that is at once sad and joyful, fairy-tale-like yet deeply grounded in real life—about motherhood, growing up, and taking responsibility for the choices one makes.

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, the filmmaker behind The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars, the film became one of Japan’s box-office record holders in 2012. It’s easy to see why: a simple story, filled with the inner light that has always distinguished the finest works of Japanese animation, is transformed in the hands of a master into a powerful cinematic experience that invites viewers into a serious, heartfelt conversation.