1. Abdulla AlDosari Phillip RothschildBianka JuchelkaSarah Webb

2. OVERVIEWHOW DOES IT END? 3. While the basic purpose of most films is toentertain, many often end with tragic or devastatingculminating events. 4. Because these sad endings are the last moments of afilm that the audience sees, they often leave lastingimpressions. 5. Unlike stories with happy endings, sad endings are usuallymore memorable, more meaningful, more captivating, moreeducational, and resonate with people for a longer periodof time. 6. These reactions often encourage people to evaluate theirdreams, needs, values, and morals in their own lives. 7. When people are sad, they try to alter these unpleasantfeelings through understanding, self-analysis, andevaluation, often followed by changes in attitudes oractions. 8. On the other hand, when people are happy they aresatisfied with themselves and do not want change, thus domuch less self-analyzing. 9. Although animation films are usually thought to havehappy endings, due to the nature of their targetedaudience and the media used, several animation filmshave sad endings. 10. These animated films, like films with live actors, can alsohelp to evoke strong emotions and add to the impact ofthe film. 11. From the opening scene of the animated film Grave of theFireflies, it is clear that this movie is going to endtragically. 12. The remainder of the movie depicts one tragedy afteranother. 13. Many of the sad moments during the film were drawn-outwith silence, allowing the audience the time to furtheranalyze the effects of each tragedy suffered. 14. Many who watch this film will not only be emotionallycaptivated from the first scene to the last, but also longafterwards. 15. Sad stories such as Grave of the Fireflies inspire peopleto search for a greater meaning in their own lives. 16. INTRODUCTION 17. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) is a Japanese animated filmwritten and directed by Isao Takahata. 18. The Japanese title is Hotaru no Haka (). Thefilm is based on the semi-autobiographical novel alsocalled Hotaru no Haka written by Akiyuki Nosaka. 19. It is not an entirely true autobiography because while itis based on a part of his life, it does not portray all theevents accurately. 20. But he and his sister did live in Kobe, Japan, during theWorld War II air raids. 21. His sister died during that time from malnutrition and theauthor blamed himself for her death. 22. It is clear that the author felt that he should have diedinstead of his sister. 23. Throughout his life the author has suffered from a deepguilt for his sisters death. He would often eat firstleaving his sister without enough food forherself, resulting in his survival and her death. 24. Akiyuki Nosaka wrote this story as an apology to hissister. 25. SYNOPSIS 26. The film opens with Seita slumped over in a train stationwith sores covering his body and his voice narrating theday of his death, September 21, 1945. 27. The spirit of Setsuko appears and they are reunited. Thefilm retraces their tragic fates as victims during WorldWord II. 28. With their father serving in the JapaneseNavy, Setsuko, Seita, and their mother prepare to leavefor the bomb shelter as planes fill the sky. 29. As bombs fall, Setsuko and Seita are forced to findshelter elsewhere. 30. Seita discovers his mother has been injured and wishesnot to tell Setsuko. Shortly afterwards she dies. 31. With their lives turned upside down, Setsuko and Seitaare left homeless, hungry, and with little money as theystruggle to survive. 32. Setsuko wonders where her mother is. 33. To keep Setsukos spirits high, Seita gives her fruit dropsthat he salvaged from their home. 34. Seita and Setsuko seek help from their aunt. 35. With food rations decreasing their aunt grows resentful. 36. Their aunt convinces Seita to trade his mothers kimonosfor food. 37. Setsuko, unaware that her mother has died, does notwant her mothers kimonos traded. 38. With food becoming scarce, their aunt begins to depriveSetsuko and Seita of food. 39. With lack of support from their aunt, Seita realizes thatit is time to leave. 40. Seita finds an old abandoned shelter to live in. 41. For a brief period of time they are happy once again. 42. At night Seita and Setsuko catch fireflies to light thebomb shelter. 43. The next day Setsuko finds all the fireflies have died andwonders why. 44. She digs a grave and begins to wonder why her motherhad to die. 45. At this moment, Seita has realized that Setsuko knowsabout their mothers death and he realizes that he cannotprotect her from everything forever. 46. Their happiness is short-lived as their food supplystarts to diminish once again, forcing Seita to steal. 47. With lack of food, Setsuko slowly begins to suffer frommalnutrition. 48. Seita often leaves Setsuko alone at the shelter tosearch for food. 49. One day Seita returns to the shelter to find Setsuko, in adelusional state, with a marble in her mouth believing it isfood. 50. Seita tries to give her food but it is too late, Setsukopasses away. 51. Seita cremates Setsukos body and never returns to theshelter. 52. A few weeks later Seita dies at the train station. 53. After he dies, Seitas and Setsukos spirits are reunited. 54. The final scene of the films shows Seita and Setsukositting on a bench looking down upon the modern day cityof Kobe, Japan, a place that once was their home. 55. VIDEO CLIP 56. In this scene, Seita witnesses the final moments ofSetsukos life. 57. In this next scene we see a happy Setsuko playing andenjoying herself. She is in the place that was once herhome. 58. We are seeing Setsukos spirit after she has died. She isfinally free of all the worries that troubled her duringher short life. 59. She lit up the world for such a short time, just as thefireflies light up the night with their short lives. 60. SYMBOLISM 61. A passing kamikaze plane reminds Setsuko of a firefly. 62. The fruit drops symbolized hope and helped to preserveSetsukos and Seitas childhood by giving them momentsof sweetness in an otherwise harsh world. 63. The bombs resembled fireflies as they fell through thesky. 64. The short life spans of fireflies resembled the untimelydeaths of Seita and Setuko. 65. The human soul was represented through the floating andilluminating fireflies. 66. POPULAR CULTURE 67. Sakuma drops are a famous Japanese candy sold in iconictin cans that have been around since 1908. 68. The candies became very popular after they werefeatured in Grave of the Fireflies and were such animportant emblem throughout the film. 69. This inspired the Sakuma Candy Co. to make their ownspecial edition featuring Setsuko on the cover andare sold worldwide for about $5. 70. CREDITS Introduction & Video Clip Abdulla AlDosariPowerPoint, Symbolism, & Popular CultureBianka JuchelkaPowerPoint & Overview Phillip Rothschild Discussion Questions Sarah Webb 71. WORK CITEDMartin, Theron. animenewsnetwork.com. Graves of the FireFlies, 2012. Web. 30 May 2012.Wikipedia contributors. "Grave of the fireflies." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 Dec. 2007. Web. 31 May 2012.Ebert, Roger. rogerebert.com. Graves of the FireFlies, 2000. Web. 30 May 2012.ghibli-gifs.tumblr.com. Graves of the FireFlies, 1999. Web. 27 May 2012. cubo3.com. Especial Ghibli- Tmulo dos Vagalumes, 2010. Web. 25 May 2012.jbox.com. Sakuma Drops-Grave of the Fireflies Limited Edition, 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.Wikipedia contributors. "Sakuma drops." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Aug. 2011. Web. 1 Jun. 2012.