5 Centimeters per Second (2007) / The Garden of Words (2013)

Together with Kaboom Animation Festival we bring the best anime to the big screen!

Makoto Shinkai has become one of the most original voices in anime over the years. Through films like Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011), Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019) and Suzume (2022) Shinkai has built a body of work that bears his own signature, steering away both from more action-packed anime films, as well as from Ghibli-inspired fantasy films. Shinkai’s films have a quietness of their own and focus on young protagonists finding their way in the world, often with the uncertainties of modern life as their backdrop. Now Kaboom Anime presents a unique chance to see two of Shinkai’s mid-length films on the big screen. 5 Centimeters per Second (2007) tells the story of Takaki and Akari’s friendship, which is put to the test when one of them moves away. In The Garden of Words (2013), a teenager who skips school and a woman who avoids going to her job meet in a public park on rainy days. What unites these films is Shinkai’s subtle approach to emotions like loss, longing and uncertainty. 5 Centimeter per Second and The Garden of Words are essential viewing for all Makoto Shinkai fans.

Melkweg often hosts different types of programmes at the same time, such as concerts, club nights and films. Please note that there may occasionally be some noise pollution from other programmes during the screening.