Shimajiro and the Mother Tree
Directed by Isamu HirabayashiThis is the third movie starring a tiger boy named Shimajiro, and it will be screened in movie theaters around Japan. Like its two predecessors, the movie has been conceived to be a child's first movie theater experience, and has been designed in a way that will hold the attention of a young audience throughout the film. Each child is given a cardboard megaphone that they are encouraged to use at various times by the story's characters to cheer them on or shout a particular phrase, and even use as a weapon to thwart the film's villain. The film itself features a wide variety of entertainment, from sing-alongs to dance-alongs, puppet animation, and regular animation. Japanese screenings of the movie come with a short break in the middle, while the lighting and sound in the theater are adjusted to give the children the most comfortable experience possible.
