Grave of the Fireflies

Feature Film: 16 April 1988 / 88 minutes

Director, Screenplay: Isao Takahata

Based on the partially-autobiographical book of the same title by Akiyuki Nosaka, who lost his little sister during the war to malnutrition.

Film poster

Credits & Film Information Figures; data; weekly BO #

Story Plot, project proposal & theme

Scripts & Lyrics What they say & sing

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Isao Takahata All about the director

Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓, Hotaru no Haka^?), also known as Tombstone for Fireflies, is a very somber film about the struggle of two children to survive during World War II. Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves when their mother passes away from severe burns inflicted by the American fire-bombing of their town, the port city of Kobe. Their father is serving in the Japanese navy, but the children have not heard from him in a long time, so Seita and Setsuko try staying with a distant relative. However, Seita doesn't get along well with this relative and decides to leave, taking Setsuko with him, to live on their own.

Some interesting trivia: when this film debuted in Japanese theaters, it was shown as a double-feature with My Neighbor Totoro!