The animated feature “Ride Your Wave” runs Friday, Feb. 21, through Thursday, Feb. 27, at Laemmle’s Glendale, 207 N. Maryland Ave., Glendale.

From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa (“The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl,” “Devilman Crybaby”) comes a deeply emotional new film that applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a tale of romance, grief and self-discovery.

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, Minato loses his life in an accident at sea.

Hinako is so distraught that she can no longer even look at the ocean, but one day she sings a song that reminds her of their time together, and Minato appears in the water. From then on, she can summon him in any watery surface as she sings their song, but can the two really remain together forever? And what is the real reason for Minato’s sudden reappearance?

“Yuasa entrances the eye, but he also knows how to make your heart soar with this deft, delicate, and highly entertaining story of loss, of coming to terms with grief, of moving on without ever forgetting.” ~ Richard Whittaker, Austin Chronicle

Showtimes: 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:50 and 10:10 p.m.

In Japanese with English subtitles. For more information, go to www.laemmle.com.

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