My Neighbor Totoro

A closer look at the story

Satsuki and her little sister Mei move with their father to an old house in the countryside so they can be closer to their mother, who is in hospital. As they settle into their new home and village life, they make an astonishing discovery: the woods near the house are inhabited by Totoros, gentle and magical spirits of the forest. The sisters soon become friends with these creatures, and a magical world far from the bustle of the city opens up before them. When little Mei goes missing one day, Satsuki has to ask the forest spirits for help in finding her. A Hayao Miyazaki film from script to screen, this 86-minute Japanese animation from 1988 is a warm family story about the fairy-tale world of childhood and the magic of the countryside.