Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Movie Night and Discussion

Join us for this classic anime from the creator of gems such as Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle. Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli brings us the tale of Nausicaä, the young teenage princess of the Valley of the Wind. She becomes embroiled in a struggle with Tolmekia, a kingdom that tries to use an ancient weapon to eradicate a jungle full of giant mutant insects.

After the movie, we will dive deeper into the sustainability themes it raises with U of A scholars, who will offer expert insight into what Nausicaa has to teach us about life on land, sustainable cities and communities, and more.

This event is generously sponsored by the Prince Takamado Japan Centre.

The discussion will be led by:

Dr. William Carroll:

William Carroll is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta in the Department of East Asian Studies. His first book, Suzuki Seijun and Postwar Japanese Cinema, was published in July 2022. He is currently working on a book about cinephile culture and film production in Japan from the 1980s through the present. He will be teaching a course on Anime in the Fall semester of 2023.

Dr. M Derek MacKenzie

Dr. M Derek MacKenzie conducts research on soil-plant relations in natural and reclaimed ecosystems, focusing on plant growth, microbial processes and nutrient availability. One of his goals is to create a western lab for the quantification of black C in soils and sediments.

Host or Publisher Global Education Program - University of Alberta International