What Level of Educator are you?
Reference
I decided to view the film My Neighbor Totoro because I have a sixth grade student who is absolutely OBSESSED with it and finds a way to incorporate the character Totoro into each art project she creates in my class. I was already familiar with some of the work of Hayao Miyazaki, but wanted to do a deep dive into this particular film since I knew it was resonating with at least one of my art students.
Aside from the sheer visual beauty of the film, the main thing that struck me was the character development in general and how Miyazaki is able to create endearing animated characters who I genuinely felt for. This is a tale of two sisters, Mei and Satsuki, and their father living together in a new place while their mother is away getting care for an illness. In the wake of the situation, the younger sister, Mei, often finds herself drifting off into an imaginary world of her own design where nature becomes a magical place full of wild creatures and new adventures. In this world, she meets the titular character, Totoro, who silently comforts her, becomes her friend, and gives her hope. Mei visits Totoro regularly as an escape from her reality, while Satsuki and their father think that Mei is making everything up. It is all very real for Mei as she experiences a multitude of wondrous characters and scenarios throughout the film.
The main themes I pulled from the film are innocence, friendship, hope, and the magic of nature. Art teachers (such as myself) can use this film in their classes to inspire character design and to discuss color theory or color combinations in general. The expression in the characters' faces is also worthy of study in art classes because so much emotion is captured via such simple lines. Music teachers can explore the soothing soundtrack with students and discuss how music can inform the overall mood/tone of a film. Also, Japanese language teachers can use the film to explore differences between how adults and children use the language.
Overall, this is an absolutely gorgeous film that viewers of all ages will fall in love with. I totally understand now why my student adores this film so much and can't wait to discuss it with her when we return from our winter break.
