Spirited Away, titled Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi in Japan, follows a young girl named Chihiro on an adventurous but menacing journey to a magical kingdom after her parents are were transformed into pigs. She forms relationships with people who will help her find her way home such as Haku, Zeniba and Mr. Kamaji. She also meets people like Yubaba who try to make her time in the spirit realm difficult. Spirited Away quickly became the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. It received many great reviews in every aspect of cinema. It has won numerous awards, including a Golden Bear in 2002 at the Berlin International Film Festival and an Oscar in 2003 for Best Animated Film. Hayao Miyazaki, writer and director of the film, strongly encourages Japanese culture and its survival. He believes that “surrounded by high technology and its fragile devices, children are increasingly losing their roots” (Reider). Hayao Miyazaki's goal is to present not just an animated film, but a work of art. It does this by using certain animation and cinematographic techniques, applying Japanese culture and creating profound characters, which highlight the key symbols of the film. Miyazaki's strong support of Japanese culture often becomes prominent in the film. Once Chihiro learns that her parents are pigs, she believes she is dreaming. “Leave. . He feeds her and she begins to reappear. This scene reflects ancient Japanese mythological stories that support the belief that eating food from another realm will keep you… at the center of the card...” Miyazaki certainly does that the work put into the film undoubtedly elevates it as a true work of art. Works CitedCooper, Damon. "Finding the Spirit Within: A Critical Analysis of Film Techniques in Spirited Away." Literary Resource Center. Network. April 27, 2014. Knox, Julian. "Hoffmann, Goethe, and Miyazaki's Spirited Away." Vale Circle42.3 (2011): 198+. Literary Resource Center. Network. April 27, 2014 Spirited Away // Interviews // Nausicaa.net." Miyazaki on Spirited Away // Interviews // Nausicaa.net. Trans. Ryoko Toyama. Ed. Ghiblink Team. Np, nd Web. April 27, 2014. Reider, Noriko T. “Spirited Away: Films about Fantastic and Evolving Japanese Folk Symbols.” Film Critics 29.3 (2005): 4+. Literary Resource Center. Network. 27 April 2014. Spirited Away. Director Hayao Miyazaki. Studio Ghibli, 2001. DVD