Today in “We love to see it” news, it has been announced that Suzume, the latest film from Makoto Shinkai, will be premiering at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. The festival, also known as Berlinale, takes place from February 16-23. Suzume is the first anime feature film to enter the Competition section in over two decades.
Shinkai is no stranger to having critically acclaimed movies. He is best known for Your Name. (Kimi no Na wa) and Weathering With You (Tenki no Ko.) Suzume is his 13th movie and has made waves in Japan. The movie will start screening internationally in April, premiering in the United States on April 14th. As of yet, tickets have not gone on sale.
On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety—
“Suzume” is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation.
Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) when she encounters a young man who tells her, “I’m looking for a door.” What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly drawn by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster.
—The stars, then sunset, and the morning sky.
Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky…
Never-before-seen scenery, encounters and farewells… A myriad of challenges await her on her journey. Despite all the obstacles in her way, Suzume’s adventure shines a ray of hope upon our own struggles against the toughest roads of anxiety and constraints that make up everyday life. This story of closing doors that connect our past to the present and future will leave a lasting impression upon all of our hearts.
Drawn in by these mysterious doors, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.
Synopsis from Crunchyroll
I, for one, cannot wait for Suzume to release in theaters! Your Name. is one of my favorite movies of all time and I am in love with Shinkai’s work. There is something about the unique stories he tells coupled with the breathtaking art and animation that just does it for me. I anticipate there will be a lot of comparisons of Suzume to Your Name, as the same thing happened with Weathering With You. However, all of these projects are their own independent stories and should be treated as such.
Trust that I will be first in line on April 14th to cry my eyes out in theaters. Having seen both Your Name. and Weathering With You in theaters, I can attest to the fact that there is nothing quite like experiencing a Shinkai film in theaters. From the score to the visuals, every single frame is accounted for and made with the big screen in mind. You will be mesmerized from start to finish. The movie will be screening in both dub and sub so I’m hoping I get to watch both.
Source: Official Crunchyroll Press Release
If my finances are together in April, me and my sister are going to have to go see this. We haven’t seen Your Name yet, but we saw Weathering With You in theaters as a birthday gift to ourselves at the beginning of 2020 and have really fallen for the amazing visuals in Makoto Shinkai’s films. Here’s to hoping that maybe they’ll release a dubbed version in theaters too🤞🏾