Studio Ghibli’s iconic director, 82-year-old Hayao Miyazaki, hasn’t laid down his pencil yet, according to an executive at the Japanese animation studio. This revelation came after the long-anticipated film “The Boy and the Heron” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, although Miyazaki was notably absent from the event. Miyazaki enjoys worldwide acclaim for hand-drawing animated classics like “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” and “Howl’s Moving Castle,” among others, all of which he co-founded under Studio Ghibli.
In an interview, Junichi Nishioka, the studio’s vice president for international distribution, offered insights, stating, “For the last 20 years, after finishing a movie, he would declare ‘I’m finished’… but this time, he didn’t mention retirement.” He added that while there are no concrete plans on the table, Miyazaki shows a strong desire to embark on new creative endeavors and remains active at the studio.
“The Boy and the Heron” had a surprisingly low-key release in Japan in July, deliberately lacking promotional material to evoke a sense of mystery, a concept initiated by producer Toshio Suzuki to harken back to his childhood movie-going experiences. Despite the minimal marketing, the movie has already attracted over five million viewers in Japan.
Toronto International Film Festival
The film’s debut at the Toronto International Film Festival marked the first time an animated Japanese film opened the festival, drawing enthusiastic audiences. Gabriel Mas, an attendee of the premiere, expressed his admiration, saying, “It was an amazing film… I had high expectations, but it exceeded them.”
Based on a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino titled “How Do You Live,” which Miyazaki read as a child, the movie follows the journey of 11-year-old Mahito Maki, who loses his mother during World War II and embarks on an enchanting adventure. Miyazaki drew inspiration from his own post-war experiences and how he coped with the loss of his mother.
Returning to delight anime fans after a decade since the release of “The Wind Rises” in 2013, Hayao Miyazaki aims to convey a message to younger generations about his life and how they should contemplate their own existence. Nishioka described the film as personal, illustrating Miyazaki’s life and values and prompting the audience to reflect on their own lives.
