‘Ponyo’ Kicks Off Studio Ghibli Films Series at Teatro Manzanero

Mérida’s historic Teatro Armando Manzanero is hosting a free Studio Ghibli film series this week, with three screenings organized by the Secretaría de la Cultura y las Artes [Secretariat of Culture and Arts] of Yucatán, known as Sedeculta.

The lineup runs from Thursday through Saturday and is open to all ages, no tickets required.

Kicking things off Thursday, March 5, is Ponyo (2008), Hayao Miyazaki’s undersea fable about a goldfish who longs to become human and the boy who befriends her. Saturday’s double feature includes Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) at 5 p.m., followed by When Marnie Was There (2014) at 7 p.m. All three films will screen in the Cineteca Manuel Barbachano Ponce, the theater’s dedicated cinema space.

For visitors who haven’t been inside, the Armando Manzanero is easy to find. The Art Deco building is at Calle 62 No. 495, between Calles 59 and 61 in Centro Histórico. Originally opened in 1949 as Cine Mérida, it closed in 1992 during a rough period for the Mexican film industry before the state government bought and renovated it, reopening as a performing arts venue in 2000. It was later renamed in honor of Mérida’s most celebrated songwriter. The Cineteca seats around 227 people.

Ghibli films hold unusual staying power. The Japanese studio, founded by Miyazaki and producer Isao Takahata in 1985, built its reputation on hand-drawn animation and stories that don’t talk down to children — or adults. Kiki’s Delivery Service follows a young witch navigating independence in a new city. Ponyo reimagines the Little Mermaid as something warmer and stranger. When Marnie Was There, one of the studio’s quieter films, deals with loneliness and the mysterious ties between people who may not know they’re connected.

Mérida has a longer relationship with cinema than most people realize. Yucatán’s film history stretches back to 1897, when Edison’s kinetoscope first arrived in the city, and the peninsula produced some of the first feature-length films ever made in Mexico. Today, the Armando Manzanero remains one of the few venues in the city dedicated to independent and arthouse programming, with Sedeculta organizing regular free screening cycles throughout the year.

Admission to all three Ghibli screenings is free. No reservations are mentioned. Seating is first-come, first-served at venues that hold fewer than 250 people for film screenings, so arriving early isn’t a bad idea — especially for Saturday’s 5 p.m. show, which will likely draw families.

Ghibli at the Armando Manzanero — Quick Facts

• Thursday, March 5, 7 p.m. — Ponyo (2008)
• Saturday, March 7, 5 p.m. — Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
• Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m. — When Marnie Was There (2014)
• Venue: Cineteca Manuel Barbachano Ponce, Teatro Armando Manzanero
• Address: Calle 62 No. 495 between Calles 59 and 61, Centro Histórico, Mérida
• Admission: Free and open to the public
• Organizer: Sedeculta (Secretaría de la Cultura y las Artes de Yucatán)