Ponyo

A friendship forges instantly between a young boy and his goldfish as external forces destabilise the world around them.

While on an outing with her family, a mischievous little goldfish named Ponyo with an appetite for adventure sneaks away. Eventually getting stuck in a glass jar and washing up on the shore of a small fishing village, she’s rescued by a five-year-old boy named Sōsuke.

Immediately the pair become inseparable and Ponyo begins to transform into a human. Meanwhile, her powerful father begins to search for her, summoning some powerful wave spirits along the way.

Curator’s Note

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, Ponyo has emerged from the depths of the ocean as a veritable icon of Studio Ghibli. Mostly non-verbal, Ponyo uses exuberant gestures and facial expressions to communicate her emotions but is also aided by Joe Hisaishi’s wondrously emotive musical score.

Hisaishi co-wrote the theme song ‘Gake no Ue no Ponyo’ (or ‘Ponyo on the Cliff’) with Katsuya Kondō and the film’s director Hayao Miyazaki. It was released as a single in Japan and became one of the highest selling singles of the year there.

To include younger viewers and viewers with differing literacy levels, we’re screening the English language version of the film featuring the voices of Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon and Tina Fey.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)

Our special Kids' Flicks with Feelings sessions include a curator introduction where we introduce the concept of emotional intelligence. Each session will begin by listening to a piece of music from the film's emotive score.