When Marnie Was There is a 2014 Japanese anime film produced by Studio Ghibli. The story centers around a quiet and introverted 12-year-old girl named Anna, who is sent to live with her relatives in a village on the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Anna suffers from asthma and is prone to anxiety and asthma attacks, which have made her feel disconnected from the people around her.
As Anna explores the area, she becomes fascinated by a large and eerie mansion she sees across a nearby marsh. She experiences vivid dreams about the mansion and a mysterious blonde girl named Marnie who lives there. Anna becomes convinced that Marnie is real and tries to learn more about her, but her curiosity leads her down a path of confusion, isolation, and self-discovery.
Anna soon befriends a local girl named Sayaka, who helps her investigate the mansion and its history. As they explore the mansion, Anna discovers secrets about her own past and learns to confront her feelings of loneliness and abandonment. Along the way, she also discovers the truth about Marnie and her own identity.
The film explores themes of friendship, belonging, memory, and self-discovery, with a focus on the emotional turmoil of adolescence. It is a poignant and visually stunning story of a young girl's journey towards self-acceptance and understanding.
