Grave of the Fireflies returns to cinemas in France on July 1, 2026. Directed by Isao Takahata for Studio Ghibli, this classic of Japanese animation is back on the big screen thirty years after its French debut.
Grave of the Fireflies
Film | 1988
Theaters re-release: July 1, 2026
Animation, drama, war | Runtime: 1h 29m
Directed by Isao Takahata
Original title: Hotaru no haka
Studio: Studio Ghibli
Country: Japan
The film unfolds in Japan in the final months of World War II. In the wake of the Kobe bombing, fourteen-year-old Seita and his younger sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves, trying to survive in a country torn apart by war. Their journey sheds light on the civilian toll of conflict, told through the eyes of two children who grapple with hunger, isolation, and loss.
Adapted from Akiyuki Nosaka's semi-autobiographical novella, first published in 1967, the film is frequently cited as a landmark in Japanese animation. Isao Takahata crafts a human-centric take on war—eschewing military spectacle—in a way that helped propel his international recognition.
Released in Japan in 1988 and in France in 1996, Grave of the Fireflies remains widely acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Today, the film stands as one of the best-known works in Isao Takahata’s body of work, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli alongside Hayao Miyazaki.
This theatrical re-release is aimed at both viewers who have never seen the film on the big screen and those who want to experience it again in a cinema setting. Because of its themes of war, mourning, and survival, the work is more suited to teenagers and adults than to very young children.
The trailer for this re-release has been posted by the distributor. Sony Pictures has announced a fresh French rollout for summer 2026.
To extend your cinema experience, check out the July movie releases, the films to watch right now, and our pick of Japanese animated films of the year.
This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.
