GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES
HOTARU NO HAKA

Directed by: Isao Takahata

Hotaru no haka is animated Japanese film (anime). It is considered to be the most depressing film in history. This movie is not easy to watch. Hotaru no haka tells the story of a Japanese boy and his little sister, struggling to survive in the countryside during the Wolrd War II. Not many cartoons/anime would depict a boy seeing his mother's burnt, but that is just the start of their traumas. Parentless and homeless, they are forced to wander the countryside, beset by hunger, American bombings and the self-serving indifference of adults. It's not all suffering and desperation, though. There are magical moments of natural beauty and childish delight, too – which only make the tragedy even more harrowing.