According to Japanese mythology, tanuki—raccoons—can transform themselves into other creatures and objects to deceive humans. A group of tanuki will have to master this ability once again when modern buildings begin to spring up near their idyllic forest home. The film Pom Poko, whose title refers to the sound tanuki make by drumming on their bellies, was directed by Japanese animation master Isao Takahata. The film criticizes the values of a materialistic society obsessed with accumulating wealth and money, while also presenting a humorous and bittersweet ode to disappearing nature and the countryside. It draws on Japanese myths, folklore, and classical literature, combining elements of these into a playful satire in which forest creatures use magic, deception, and sabotage to fight against human expansion.
Isao Takahata / Japan / 1994 / 118 min. / Japanese language / Czech subtitles
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