THEME EXPLORATION

innocence and naivety

38 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
The Red Balloon
The Red Balloon
1956 · Albert Lamorisse
Miracle in Milan
Miracle in Milan
1951 · Vittorio De Sica
Flowers of Shanghai
Flowers of Shanghai
1998 · Hou Hsiao-hsien
Ponyo
Ponyo
2008 · Hayao Miyazaki
The Miracle of Marcelino
The Miracle of Marcelino
1990 · Ladislao Vajda
El espiritu de la colmena
El espiritu de la colmena
1973 · Victor Erice
The Silence
The Silence
1963 · Ingmar Bergman
L’école des femmes
L’école des femmes
1940 · Max Ophuls
Manila in the Claws of Light
Manila in the Claws of Light
1975 · Lino Brocka
Children of Heaven
Children of Heaven
1997 · Majid Majidi
Grave of the Fireflies
Grave of the Fireflies
1988 · Isao Takahata
The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate
1962 · John Frankenheimer
My Life in Pink
My Life in Pink
1997 · Alain Berliner
Angel at Sea
Angel at Sea
2009 · Frédéric Dumont
This and a Million More Lights
This and a Million More Lights
2003 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
The Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunter
1955 · Charles Laughton
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
2002 · Park Chan-wook
The Notebook
The Notebook
2013 · János Szász
The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone
2001 · Guillermo del Toro
100 Nights of Hero
100 Nights of Hero
2026 · Julia Jackman
Dolly
Dolly
2026 · Rod Blackhurst
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
2026 · Quentin Tarantino
Don't Leave the Kids Alone
Don't Leave the Kids Alone
2026 · Emilio Portes
Re-Creation
Re-Creation
2026 · Jim Sheridan
Labyrinth of Lost Boys
Labyrinth of Lost Boys
2026 · Matheus Marchetti
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
2008 · Mark Herman
Strong
Strong
2026 · Dimbo Atiya
Peppermint Candy
Peppermint Candy
2000 · Lee Chang-dong
Runaway
Runaway
1958 · Ritwik Ghatak
The White Ribbon
The White Ribbon
2009 · Michael Haneke
The White Balloon
The White Balloon
1995 · Abbas Kiarostami & Jafar Panahi
Viridiana
Viridiana
1961 · Luis Buñuel
Case for a Rookie Hangman
Case for a Rookie Hangman
1970 · Pavel Juráček
Miracle in Cell No. 7
Miracle in Cell No. 7
2019 · Mehmet Ada Öztekin
Fucking Bornholm
Fucking Bornholm
2022 · Anna Kazejak
The Cassandra Cat
The Cassandra Cat
1963 · Vojtěch Jasný
11 Flowers
11 Flowers
2011 · Wang Xiaoshuai
Boomerang!
Boomerang!
1947 · Elia Kazan
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Hayao Miyazaki Japan

His films consistently portray young protagonists navigating worlds where innocence is tested but ultimately preserved, exploring the loss and recovery of childlike wonder.

 Wong Kar-wai Hong Kong

He visually captures the naivety of young love and characters caught between innocence and harsh reality, often through dreamlike cinematography that mirrors their emotional confusion.

 Lynne Ramsay United Kingdom

Her films examine childhood innocence corrupted by trauma and adult complexities, using fractured narratives to show how naivety transforms into damaged awareness.