©Courtesy of Cannes film Festival
“He’s traveling between reality & fantasy, and losing the ability to tell them apart.” Another magnificent doc about Hayao Miyazaki just debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes started off by giving filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli an Honorary Palme d’Or.
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron focuses on six years of work leading up to The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, giving viewers a two-hour glimpse into his creative process. A few weeks back, Japanese television aired a reduced version of Kaku Arakawa’s film 2399 Days with Ghibli and Miyazaki, which featured Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. A new version has been released by the director that provides a deeper explanation of the approach and method behind this year’s Oscar winner for best animated feature film.
Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron draw a parallel between the man and his work. Kaku Arakawa examines the film’s conception up close, exploring its pitfalls and epiphanies alike. Enjoying a close relationship with the filmmaker, he invites us into the studios to observe not only the studio but also Miyazaki himself.
He tackles a range of profound and captivating subjects, such as the latter’s brief retirement, memory issues, and the mourning after the death of Isao Takahata, who was co-founder of Studio Ghibli. Kaku Arakawa also spent time with the creator of Totoro, Chihiro and Ponyo in the 2000s for 10 years with Hayao Miyazaki (2019).
This four-part series tells the story of a workaholic buried deep in character design and reveals the man behind the talent.
Miyazaki dealt with his doubts, his relationship with his child, and his perspective on time with a reserved and philosophical approach when he worked with Arakawa.
Check out the trailer from Catsuka.
English subbed trailer of "Hayao Miyazaki & The Heron" (2h documentary), which was screened at Cannes Film Festival this evening.https://t.co/86GOZx3Drjhttps://t.co/EciVH2FD7X https://t.co/AiDTjf9GPS pic.twitter.com/53UHTawKs7
— Catsuka (@catsuka) May 19, 2024