Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature, a French-made documentary about legendary Japanese animation maker Hayao Miyazaki, will debut at the Venice Film Festival, which opened on August 28 and will run through September 7.
Directed by Leo Favier, the new documentary was written by him and Leo Brachet. It puts a strong emphasis on Miyazaki’s love for nature and his advocacy on behalf of global warming and other environmental challenges being faced today. Earlier documentaries, such as NHK’s Never-Ending Man and the four-part 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki, had dealt with his general theories of animation.
The interdependence of humans and the natural environment have always been important themes in Miyazaki’s animation projects, such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, and Princess Mononoke.
Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature includes excerpts from Hayao Miyazaki’s animated features as well as interviews with many of his colleagues. They include Toshiro Suzuki, who cofounded Studio Ghibli with him, as well as his son, Goro Miyazaki, and his former animator, Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Also appearing in the new documentary are Professor Susan Napier, the author of Miyazakiworld, and Professor Timothy Morton, the author of Being Ecological.
According to the official synopsis for the film: “Through iconic characters such as Totoro and Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki’s films reflect his deep concerns about the world, often autobiographical and echoing the upheavals of the 20th century. Miyazaki, Spirit of Nature, enriched with exceptional film excerpts and insights [from the colleagues mentioned above] reveals Miyazaki’s profound ecological work that questions our relationship with the natural world and living creatures.”
Director Favier was quoted as saying, “With Miyazaki, Spirit Of Nature I want, on one hand, to tell his life story. A film is like a great journey through the twentieth century, where the magic of animation appears as an intimate way to counter reality. …. With the help of biologists, philosophers, and anthropologists I aim to reflect on this work that resonates so vividly with our world, faced with the climate crisis, the collapse of biodiversity, and wars… A context that compels us to question our relationship with living beings as humanity.”
Miyazaki, Spirit Of Nature is Favier’s debut feature; he had previously directed episodes for television series such as Dopamine and Culbute, as well as a several short films.
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