At the 77th Cannes International Film Festival held in France in May, Studio Ghibli was awarded the honorary Palme d'Or for their significant contributions to the film industry. Director Goro Miyazaki, who has observed Studio Ghibli from various positions, attended the ceremony. He commented, "I believe this award is a message that Studio Ghibli should continue to strive for another 40 years. I hope we can keep going." We spoke with Director Miyazaki about the future of Studio Ghibli.

Interview

— I watched the award ceremony live online. The venue was packed. How was the ceremony?

[Miyazaki] Just wearing a tuxedo was overwhelming, and I had no composure at all (laughs). The applause felt like it was raining down from above. This time, they screened short animations from the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, which were based on works by Hayao Miyazaki, including "Porco Rosso," and my directed film "Tales from Earthsea." Seeing people watching those on the spot was the most gratifying.

Since around 2020, streaming services like HBO Max and Netflix started distributing our works, and because of that, many people around the world watched Ghibli's works properly for the first time, even past ones. I think this had a huge impact. During this Cannes visit, I was interviewed by media from Poland, Hungary, Norway, and Bulgaria. I also met representatives from a company in Morocco that distributed Ghibli works ("The Boy and the Heron (jananese How do you live?)") for the first time. I truly felt the changing landscape.

— Studio Ghibli has produced numerous masterpieces over nearly 40 years, and this is the first time an organization has received the honorary Palme d'Or.

[Miyazaki] Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985, nearly 40 years ago. The Ghibli Museum, Mitaka has also been around for over 20 years since its opening in 2001. I think this award reflects that long history. After returning from Cannes and reflecting calmly, I thought, "I shouldn't have said that this award means we should keep going for another 40 years" (laughs). But at that moment, I felt I had to say it.

— Including not just the animation works but also the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park in the achievements recognized by Cannes must have been particularly meaningful to you, who has seen Studio Ghibli from various perspectives.

[Miyazaki] People often associate Studio Ghibli solely with animation, but as someone involved with both the museum and the park, it was extremely gratifying. I'm sure the staff at the museum and park felt the same way. Even though they don't create animations, they must have felt like part of Studio Ghibli.

— The Ghibli Museum struggled during the pandemic but managed to pull through with support from fans using the hometown tax system. The continued operation itself seems to have been valued.

[Miyazaki] Creating a virtual Ghibli Museum in a computer could be cost-effective, but would that be fun? Ghibli Park is the same; it's a place where you can visit, see, touch, and enjoy a physical experience, including chatting over tea at a café. I believe such physical experiences will become increasingly valuable.

Even in animation production, it's probably best to leave some tangible aspect somewhere. However, whether this is truly the case or not, I can't say for sure what will happen in 40 years. Studio Ghibli didn't start with the intention of doing the same things as everyone else, so I believe we should continue to do what we think is good.

— What are your thoughts about the next 40 years?

[Miyazaki] I think it's time to cool my head and think about what's next. It reminds me of when we built the museum. After the great success of "Princess Mononoke" (1997), Hayao Miyazaki, who was in his late 50s, announced his retirement from feature films. He even tried to take the animators with him, saying, "I don't want to retire alone, so let's all retire together" (laughs).

He proposed creating a shop as a new job for them, but when they objected that customer service requires a friendly attitude which they lacked, he suggested a museum instead. This idea of a second career place, including myself, led to the creation of the Ghibli Museum. Although Miyazaki did not retire, we ended up building the museum. The establishment of a permanent Ghibli Museum was one of the triggers that spread the Ghibli name worldwide. I feel that we are now at a similar turning point as back then.

— There aren't many people who can express their individuality on the level of Hayao Miyazaki.

[Miyazaki] I often hear from Hollywood directors and actors visiting Japan that they want to visit or have visited the Ghibli Museum. The museum has become a place where those intrigued by Ghibli works can satisfy their curiosity. I hope the museum will be a place where people become even more puzzled the more they visit, as it embodies Miyazaki's ideas. The structure itself feels like you're inside his mind, with confusing stairways and unexpected bridges, much like Miyazaki himself. Normally, museums are much more straightforward in design.

— Indeed... I often get lost despite visiting multiple times. Currently, the Ghibli Museum is holding the second part of the "The Boy and the Heron" exhibition, featuring layouts until November 10th. The exhibition showcases about 200 layouts created during the production of the film, highlighting the richness of hand-drawn art and the creators' intentions. These are quite rare pieces, aren't they?

[Miyazaki] It's quite rare nowadays for almost all the drawings created during the production process to be done on paper with pencils and paint. With digitalization progressing in animation production, doing such classical work is really unique.

Layouts are like blueprints for animation, depicting the background, character positions, movement instructions, and camera work for each cut. "The Boy and the Heron" has about 1250 cuts, with some cuts having multiple layouts, resulting in more layouts than the total number of cuts. We are exhibiting about one-sixth of those.

Based on Hayao Miyazaki's storyboards, animators created the layouts, which were then checked and revised by Miyazaki and the animation director, leaving traces of redrawing. Most of these layouts are eventually handed over to the background art staff. Despite their transient nature, these layouts hold a compelling presence when displayed, showcasing the charm of drawings on paper.

Hayao Miyazaki single-handedly conceived the story, designed characters, and drew them with pencils over seven years. It's a rare feat. Why a parakeet? Why a heron? While we may not understand everything, the fact that such unique ideas came to him is exceptional. There's no one else who can showcase such creativity at Miyazaki's level, not even AI can compete. I hope visitors feel the weight of what has been created through these exhibited layouts, even if they can't fully grasp Miyazaki's essence.

— Recently, Director Hayao Miyazaki has been creating a panorama box for Ghibli Park. Are you still expecting him to produce works that no one else can create?

[Miyazaki] He might say he's making the panorama box because Goro asked him to, but honestly, I don't know what he's thinking. He doesn't talk as openly as he used to.

— And you, Director Miyazaki?

[Miyazaki] I have something I want to create at the end of my life, but it seems like it would be quite costly...

— We'll hope Producer Toshio Suzuki can manage something and look forward to it.

Note: The Ghibli Museum, Mitaka operates on a reserved admission system. Tickets can be reserved on the Lawson Ticket website (not sold at the museum counter).

Born in 1967. Goro Miyazaki grew up watching the TV and movie animations created by his father, Director Hayao Miyazaki. He attended Shinshu University, where he studied in the Faculty of Agriculture, specializing in park and urban green space planning. After becoming a construction consultant in this field, he observed the works of Studio Ghibli and his father's dedication from a the general public's point. In 1998, Producer Toshio Suzuki entrusted him with the overall design of the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, where he served as the first director from October 2001 to June 2005. He made his debut as a film director with Studio Ghibli's "Tales from Earthsea" (2006). He also directed "From Up on Poppy Hill" (2011) and "Earwig and the Witch" (2020). Since 2017, he has been overseeing the production site of Ghibli Park in Aichi.

Source : ORICON NEWS