About this Event
This program is part of 7th House's OUT THERE: FAR-OUT INTERGALACTIC ANIMATION series. Series info below and series passes available!
7th House’s Out There: Far-Out Intergalactic Animation series approaches re-entry with perhaps its most quietly philosophical and dreamlike offering: an incredibly rare screening of Gisaburō Sugii’s NIGHT ON THE GALACTIC RAILROAD (1985). A singular achievement in animated cinema, Sugii’s meditative adaptation of the beloved and hugely influential unfinished novel by Kenji Miyazawa transforms a fable-like tale into something at once cosmic and deeply intimate.
Set in a dreamlike, vaguely European town populated by anthropomorphic felines, the film follows Giovanni, a poor young boy navigating schoolyard cruelty, family hardship, and the quiet weight of responsibility at home. On the night of the Milky Way Festival, he finds himself aboard a mysterious train that carries him across the stars, joined by his only friend, Campanella. As the train moves through constellations and strange, symbolic landscapes, they encounter a series of fleeting figures and moments, some beautiful, some quietly unsettling, that gradually take on deeper emotional and spiritual resonance.
Recalling the philosophical sensitivity of Hayao Miyazaki and the spiritual, contemplative stillness of Andrei Tarkovsky in equal measure, Night on the Galactic Railroad unfolds with a deliberately patient, almost hypnotic rhythm, allowing its images and atmosphere to emerge with quiet precision. Its beauty is unmistakable: Sugii conjures an ethereal, often surreal world of softly glowing skies, mesmeric liminal spaces, and half-remembered dream logic, where even its earthbound, everyday spaces take on a strange, suspended quality. The film’s otherworldly atmosphere is further elevated by a shimmering electronic score from Yellow Magic Orchestra co-founder Haruomi Hosono, whose melancholic, pastoral synthesizer compositions drift through the film like a distant signal echoing its existential and spiritual concerns. Beneath its gentle surface lies a profoundly philosophical and spiritual core, shaped by Miyazawa’s reflections on loss, faith, and our place within a vast and unknowable universe.
Very rarely screened theatrically, Night on the Galactic Railroad reveals its full power on the big screen, where its stillness, scale, and ambient, dreamlike beauty can fully take hold.
Dir. Gisaburō Sugii, 1985, 113 mins, Japan, Japanese w/ English subtitles, Unrated (All Ages), Digital.
Tickets: $12 | $45 Series Pass ($+60 value) (All Screenings Are In Person Only)
Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
OUT THERE: FAR-OUT INTERGALACTIC ANIMATION (April — June!)
This April–June, 7th House is picking up strange signals from distant worlds — hand-hewn visions of tomorrow dispatched from impossible planets and the furthest reaches of inner and outer space. Prepare for blast-off with OUT THERE: FAR-OUT INTERGALACTIC ANIMATION!
Animation, with possibilities as boundless as imagination itself, has long served as a vessel for the cosmic, the surreal, and the otherwise unknowable. This globe-spanning series gathers a constellation of visionary works that harness the medium’s unique power to conjure radically other worlds, from psychedelic galaxies to metaphysical dreamscapes.
Spanning France, Canada, the Soviet Union, Romania, Germany, and Japan (with a surprise special USA/North Korea transmission arriving soon..!), these films traverse distant planets and interior landscapes alike — mapping strange futures, alternate dimensions, and the fragile architectures of consciousness itself.
Discounted series passes available!
- (1973)
- (1983) (co-presented by Uh Oh Canadia at WHAMMY! Analog Media) *Not included in series pass
- (1988)
- (2006) + Spaced-Out Shorts!
- (1988)
- 6/7 —NIGHT ON THE GALACTIC RAILROAD (1985)
- Plus Surprise June Screening Announcing Soon!
Series poster by Bijou Karman
ADVISORY DISCLAIMER
With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].
CONTENT DISCLAIMER
The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.
ACCESSIBILITY
PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.
REFUND POLICIES
All sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.
In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.
PARKING
Limited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and (after 7 PM) on Los Feliz Blvd. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking.
PRS EVENT POLICIES
- We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
- Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
- We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
USD 14.64 to USD 49.87
