Legendary anime film creator Hayao Miyazaki has given a lengthy interview to The New York Times in which he confirms he is back working for Studios Ghibli for one last film.
The world of anime was in mourning when Mr. Miyazaki announced back in 2013 that he would retire after his last film The Wind Rises. Eight years later he has stepped out of retirement to make one last movie titled How Do You Live? When the 80-year-old, who is considered one of the greatest Japanese moviemakers in recent history, was asked by The New York Times why he is back for one last round, he simply answered, “Because I want to.”
The co-founder, writer, and penciler of Studio Ghibli for nearly three decades has given his audiences some of the most memorable animated films in cinema history. From Best Animated Film Academy Award-winner Spirited Away (2001), through the ecological war analogy of Princess Mononoke (1997), to the heartwarming My Neighbor Totoro (1988), the legendary filmmaker has brought Studio Ghibli to world-renowned fame through his inspiring and emotional storytelling.
During the interview, Mr. Miyazaki spoke about his experience as a child in post-WWII Japan and how it influenced him and his work. Characters in his stories often have to find a way not only to defeat the monsters in the outside world, but the monster we hide within. Little has been said about the plot for his newest film How Do You Live? except that it is based on a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino. The story concerns a 15-year old boy in Tokyo, who is of small stature for his age, fond of mischief, and whose father recently passed away. When urged about the title and if the answer will be given throughout the film, Mr. Miyazaki only smiles and replies, “I am making this movie because I do not have the answer.”
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