Description: " . . .  The story is set in a mythical Japan in the sixteenth century. A boar god has been shot with a bullet made of iron, a substance so incompatible with his nature that its presence in his body turns him into a demon. He attacks a remote village but is killed by its young prince, Ashitaka. In the fight, some of the evil that possessed the boar god has attached itself to Ashitaka's arm. The Village Wise Woman tells Ashitaka that soon the evil will overwhelm him and he will die. The only cure can come from the Forest Spirit who lives far away in the deep woods. Taking her advice, Ashitaka leaves his village to find the Forest Spirit. On his journey, he comes across Iron Town, a place where society's outcasts find refuge and acceptance. But the people of Iron Town have destroyed the surrounding forest to make charcoal, a necessary ingredient in the smelting of iron. The animal spirits of the forest have begun to resist and to attack the ironworks. Among them is the mysterious Princess Mononoke, a human girl raised by wolves. The leader of Iron Town, Lady Eboshi, is the person who shot the boar god. She is now bent upon killing the Forest Spirit to protect her people and allow the ironworks to expand.

Benefits: Princess Mononoke can be used to make children think about what we are doing to the environment. It shows strong nurturing male characters and strong female figures as leaders of their communities, who both nurture and destroy. The film is also an opportunity to discuss the early history of Japan.