Hayao Miyazaki (thanks, goddes)

[coyotegoth]

In what is allegedly his first interview in the last ten years, Hayao Miyazaki discusses his art as Japan's premier animator, and his thoughts on the future.

Miyazaki's latest film, Howl's Moving Castle, plays out in a valley kingdom inhabited by wizards, fire demons and undulating shadow monsters in natty straw boaters. It's based on a children's book by Welsh author Diana Wynne Jones; Miyazaki has visited Wales several times and has a deep affection for the place. He was first there in 1984, witnessed the miners' strike at first hand and farmed the whole harrowing experience into his 1986 animation Laputa: Castle in the Sky. "I admired those men," he says, sitting in the sun as the photographers melt away. "I admired the way they battled to save their way of life, just as the coal miners in Japan did. Many people of my generation see the miners as a symbol; a dying breed of fighting men." He shrugs. "Now they are gone."

And here's the thing. Miyazaki, for all his fame and acclaim, could soon be following them. It is his fate to find himself hailed as the greatest practitioner of hand-drawn cell animation (perhaps the greatest there has ever been) at a time when the art form appears to be headed the way of the dodo. He seems curiously Zen about this. "If it is a dying craft we can't do anything about it. Civilisation moves on. Where are all the fresco painters now? Where are the landscape artists? What are they doing now? The world is changing. I have been very fortunate to be able to do the same job for 40 years. That's rare in any era."

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

For being a shame culture, the Japanese seem never to be ashamed of lonliness, which I suppose is what being a master at a dying art must be.

[handworn.livejournal.com]

That is really, really neat. Thanks for sharing!

[pixilateddryad.livejournal.com]

thanks for posting this. i loved princess mononoke... must keep an eye out for howl's moving castle.

[blergeatkitty.livejournal.com]

That can't be his first interview in ten years - didn't the New Yorker do a piece on him about six months ago? (Or was he not quoted in that? I was certain he was interviewed for it.)

Regardless, it was a great article, and I loves me some Miyazaki - thanks for the link!

[tritia.livejournal.com]

His refusal to grant merchandising rights means that there is no chance of any Nausicaa happy meals or Spirited Away video games.

PHEW!