Only months remain until the end of the Second World War, but American planes continue to pummel Japanese cities with firebombs. Set against the harrowing reality of wartime atrocities – a subject that unfortunately remains relevant today – Grave of the Fireflies is the poignant tale of orphaned siblings Seito and Setsuko and their struggle for survival. Considered by many to be one of the most moving antiwar films ever made and produced by the famous Studio Ghibli, the film counts among the best examples of Japanese animation. Directed by Isao Takahata, a colleague of Hayao Miyazaki’s, this masterpiece is a disarming indictment of national leaders then and now who make helpless children and adults hostages to their despicable schemes.