Whisper of the Heart

Director: Yoshifumi Kondo

1995 / 111min / DCP

The first and only feature animation completed by Kondō, the Hayao Miyazaki protégé who died unexpectedly at the age of 47 in 1998, Whisper of the Heart is a beautifully wrought film about coming of age, creative yearning, and the personal toll that aspiration can take. Shizuku, an adolescent on summer vacation who dreams of being a writer, meets a kindred spirit in Seiji, whose dreams of being a great violin-maker take him to Italy to pursue his goal, leaving the young companions struggling to balance the demands of fulfilling their ambitions with their burgeoning feelings. Regularly ranked among the greatest animated films of all time, a massive popular success in Japan upon initial release, and a testament to the genius of a gifted artist gone too soon.

Part of Play Time: Studio Ghibli