Scent at Spirited Away brings film to life

Film enthusiasts were drawn into the world of Spirited Away on Wednesday evening with the help of scent. And it did not only smell of flowers in the Pavilion.

When the doors of the theatre hall in the Erasmus Pavilion open shortly after 7 pm, many visitors are already present. They talk in groups about previous experiences with Spirited Away, and the expectations they have for the evening. Because this is not just a screening of the classic animated film, organised tonight by Studium Generale. Scent creator Frank Bloem from The Snifferoo is adding smells to the film.

That many people are already familiar with the film becomes even clearer when Bloem asks: “Who among you has already seen the film?” Many hands immediately shoot up. “Well, that’s great”, Bloem continues, “because today you will get a very different experience than usual.”

Spirited Away

Spirited Away is a Japanese film, animated by Studio Ghibli, about a girl named Chihiro. Together with her parents, she walks through a long tunnel that leads to a bathhouse town that initially appears innocent, but nothing could be further from the truth.

When her parents help themselves to food meant for spirits, they are turned into pigs. To save them and return to the human world, Chihiro must find a job in the bathhouse of a witch named Yubaba.

“In fact, the film festival in Leiden suggested that I add scent to Spirited Away”, Bloem says. Because the film contains many distinctive scent moments, he agreed with the idea. “Sometimes you can clearly see characters smelling things, which gives all sorts of reasons why this is a very good film to use scent with.”

Scents

The scents that Bloem created for the film are contained in small bottles. There are eleven scenes. Each of those scenes has its own distinctive smell. But the pure scent substances alone are not enough to fill the hall with fragrance.

Bloem mixes the scent substances at a table with dry ice. He then takes the mixture to a fan positioned in the middle of the hall. He then turns the fan from the centre to the left and right, so that the rest of the hall also receives the scent.

“You never know exactly when the scent will arrive”, Bloem says, “so it may well reach the upper rows a bit later. But I try to time it as well as possible.”

Not always pleasant

Some scents are floral or smell of food, but not all of them are pleasant. There is, for instance, a scene in which a ‘stink spirit’ causes chaos in the bathhouse with its penetrating smell.

Just mentioning the character, and the fact that Bloem prepares to mix a scent, already brings the hall to life. Loud laughter echoes from all sides, and once the scent reaches the visitors, some hold their noses while others wave their hands in front of their faces.

Gradual reactions from others

At the front, right in the centre where the scents arrive first, sits former student Mar. “What I really liked was that you could smell it in the front row before the people behind you could. That way, you could slowly hear more and more reactions.”

Raine sits in the second row, to the side near the stairs. The scents arrive here a bit later, but that does not bother him. “It was really great”, he says. “You know how in 4D films your seat moves, and sometimes you get water droplets sprayed in your face? I found this experience comparable, but then one step beyond.”