The first time I set foot in this place
was in the fall of 2012.
THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS
Shiraki, here it is.
May I? Thank you very much.
You're already here?
I better get to work.
This is Hayao Miyazaki.
He arrives at 11 am sharp and stops work at 9 pm on the dot.
He keeps to this schedule like clockwork.
Next to him is Sankichi, in production.
She mainly manages the schedule. She's his right-hand woman.
This is it? After spending all that time?
So much to do. What's next?
Next, you're checking the key animation.
Here it is.
Hello, please allow me to observe you working.
What do they want?
By putting this on the back cover,
they want to explain why this is here.
They're asking me to write this?
Right.
Who, me?
This is Toshio Suzuki.
People call him Suzuki-san, or just "Producer".
Is that all? Let me think about it.
- Think? - When do they need it?
Shinchosha wasn't in a hurry, but Gakken was.
What's the rush?
They say he'd make a fine detective,
and people come to him with various "cases".
This should work, right?
What, are you a monk now?
No, not at all.
I reek of worldly desires.
This is Nonaka.
He alone wears a suit here because he does legal work.
We probably shouldn't. I'll discuss with Miya-san.
- I see. - Quicker that way.
Nonaka.
He never agreed to have it published as a book.
- What? Really? - We need to clear it.
Hi, this is Suzuki from Studio Ghibli.
What? A magazine feature?
It's a mess. All your fault.
Well, yes, but in that case...
Enough. What's next?
The e-book for Bunshun.
According to Nonaka, Suzuki and Miyazaki go back 35 years.
At the time, Suzuki worked at Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co.
One day, he was given the impossible task
of launching an animation magazine in three weeks.
Though he knew nothing about animation,
his desperate research led him to...
Miyazaki, who was working on Conan, The Boy in Future.
After Miyazaki directed his first feature film,
The Castle of Cagliostro,
Suzuki commissioned a serialized manga.
That eventually became the film, Nausica of the Valley of the Wind.
This is Ushiko, a longtime Ghibli resident.
Though she freely struts around the studio,
even she stays away from Miyazaki's workspace.
Especially now with a film due the next year.
"Let sleeping dogs lie, " as they say.
Workflow Coloring Chart
Hell Almost There Heaven
Why must I keep drawing when I'm past 70?
I use a 5B pencil already.
These are too soft for kids.
I even use 6B sometimes.
Lots of used pencils here. Please take them.
Including the Museum, Ghibli has nearly 400 employees,
with over 100 people working on The Wind Rises alone.
This company is a lot more fun than I thought it would be.
It's more like a school.
Maybe I shouldn't say that.
Time for radio calisthenics.
Wait, this is version 2. I can't do this.
Imai, you lead the meeting as usual.
Though we didn't release any films this year,
character merchandise sales have been steady.
Next, we'd like to present our new merchandise.
Purses, and also coin purses...
Spirited Away products have been selling well.
How's the merchandise industry in general?
Well, overall...
it's not exactly healthy.
- Can we see that in numbers? - Not quite.
The merchandisers seem to be aiming their products at children.
But the leading market now is adults, you see.
Looking at these products through those eyes,
I wonder if they meet our customers' demand.
For Ghibli calendars, Totoro is back as top seller.
How about a Hayao Miyazaki calendar?
No?
Museum ticket sales overseas are almost back to pre-tsunami levels,
though in Korea, the numbers are only about half
of what they used to be.
I don't know version 2 at all.
I just fake it.
Hello, this is the Naoto Kan campaign.
He's in this very van so he can speak to you.
Hello, everyone. This is Naoto Kan speaking.
Today is day 7 of the election race.
I'd like to take this opportunity to speak to you
about some of the issues facing our country today.
It's been 1 year and 7 months since the nuclear accident.
I'm curious how all of you feel about the Fukushima disaster.
It was the 21st century...
revealing itself.
I'm a man of the 20th century.
I don't want to deal with the 21st.
Yet we have a bunch of 21st century kids here.
24 of them.
Part of Miyazaki's daily routine
is waving hello to the kids in the in-house nursery.
You can do it!
Look, here are some works by a master doodler.
- Who drew them? - Sankichi.
Sankichi really is a rare breed.
Rare breed?
No one gets into a movie like she does.
I can be pretty scary, but not around her.
I conducted her wedding, after all.
It's okay, she's a friend of the film.
Rather, she becomes the film itself.
No Nuclear Power
We don't use nuclear power here.
Miyazaki doesn't write scripts.
Though he draws storyboards in their place,
production begins over a year before storyboards finish.
So no one knows how the film will end.
Look at this, I must be insane.
Some of the staff say it's baffling.
Some even give up trying to understand.
Ever have big dilemmas when you're editing?
I do.
It can feel paralyzing, right?
And trying to fit it into a set running time? lmpossible.
Not like I have a script.
I'm really not working off of any guidelines, you know.
I honestly don't know what kind of film we'II end up with.
Like the film writes itself through you?
After this flight I'm retiring. Like the film writes itself through you?
After this flight I'm retiring.
That's right.
Otherwise we'd be in trouble.
This may sound ridiculous,
but I've had staff tell me they have no idea what's going on in my films.
When we were making Spirited Away, even I didn't know.
The way I see it, we may never understand them.
What does one know about this world?
When we were a subsidiary of Tokuma Shoten,
we didn't fully understand that company.
We were fine with that,
so why worry about understanding the films?
The world isn't simple enough to explain in words.
Can you feel my pent-up rage?
And women ask, how could a man understand how a woman feels?
Those subtle nuances.
Kiki's emotions felt so real.
It's pretty transparent to me.
Say, why couldn't Jiji speak at the end?
Sometimes we become speechless.
When they're together at the end, there's nothing to say.
He didn't say anything.
But he came, right?
- Yes, but... - What could he possibly say?
Well, maybe that her magic is...
That her magic is back?
Her magic deepened, you see.
Would you prefer...
if Jiji said something like, "See what happens without me?"
That's annoying. You'd tell him to shut up.
"When you gain, you also lose."
That sounds cool, right?
Or " Quit talking with a cat!"
Should I be chatting away while drawing storyboards?
Thankfully, my brain is compartmentalized.
Look, the scene totally changed.
- Wow. - Right?
Films sure are organic.
As the sun begins to set, Suzuki heads into the city,
where he continues meetings.
Meanwhile, Miyazaki and his team go to the rooftop to gaze at the sky.
I have my daily ritual.
Every day I use a massage brush, exercise,
take a shower, go pick up trash, go get coffee,
then I come home and eat.
That takes three hours a day, maybe more.
But that's my life's foundation.
Within that range, I read the world.
Like noticing how the town has started to change,
or wondering what's going on with this person.
Or noticing changes in prices.
It's only what I see.
After work, Miyazaki returns to his private atelier.
I don't take holidays or Saturdays off, only Sundays.
And Sundays are very busy for me.
Every Sunday morning, I go clean the river.
Oops, I forgot to lock up and take the goats down.
Totally exposed.
Well done, fellas.
Where are they from?
They were part of the Heidi exhibit at the Museum.
Couldn't bear to see them sitting in storage.
That's done.
Still some fire left.
I'm not good at sustaining things,
but there's this thing I did four years ago,
the year after the 2008 financial crisis.
The Depression -- Year One
I documented how the Depression manifested itself in my town.
This is the river we clean.
Much cleaner now, right?
I just took pictures of everything.
The kids like the goats.
Kids from the nursery. I think they've all left now.
Here's my room.
This is the barbershop I've been going to for 40 years.
Just ordinary things I see.
"I tried to document the Depression but ended up with...
"snapshots of life as usual."
Just a typical, ordinary day,
but I wanted to keep pictures of ordinary days.
Then I got bored.
I sensed something was coming.
So when March 11 happened and the plant exploded,
I didn't expect that, but I wasn't surprised.
Towards the end of the year before March 11,
the sky started turning unusually clear,
and I knew something was off.
The sky's the same still, so it's not over yet.
It's written here.
"Year 4 of the Depression."
This is the total of government deficit bonds
and the interest on it this year.
"The Great Pacific Earthquake of March 11."
This was last year.
See, I wrote " The year it begins: March 11, 2011."
The year it begins: March 11, 2011
Those are from the year before.
Before the radiation in Fukushima,
before the nuclear power plant exploded.
These are photos from before that.
Who could've imagined what took place?
A child entering this world must sit in another's chair,
eat food from another's plate, sleep in another's bed.
Only in this way can you find your place.
When you got married, why did you decide to do so?
I had no choice but to get married.
I asked her to marry me. Can't back out.
How did you know it was her?
I don't know, that's just how it works.
Is it?
Huh?
But why?
How should I know? It's a secret of life.
I need to hurry and finish this film.
You know, people who design airplanes and machines...
No matter how much they believe that what they do is good,
the winds of time eventually turn them into tools
of industrial civilization.
It's never unscathed. They're cursed dreams.
Animation, too.
Cursed dreams?
Today, all of humanity's dreams are cursed somehow.
Beautiful yet cursed dreams.
I'm not even talking about wanting to be rich or famous.
Screw that. That's just hopeless.
What I mean is, how do we know movies are even worthwhile?
If you really think about it,
is this not just some grand hobby?
Maybe there was a time when you could make films that mattered, but now?
Most of our world is rubbish.
It's difficult.
Not long after I came here,
I became aware of a third man.
This makes it clear.
Should we insert it there?
Is there a better spot for it?
Maybe cut " We must try to live" ?
It makes sense when it's together.
True, or else it's too grim.
Please proceed.
Great, thanks.
I leave it to you, Suzuki-san.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
You can tell Miya-san is quick with decisions, right?
Definitely.
He chooses his poster art in just five seconds.
He's fast... unlike the guy you're about to meet.
For two hours, we waited.
Nishimura, looks like July 20 is a no go, huh?
These 61 shots just got done today.
20 more shots tomorrow bring us to 81.
So even with this concerted effort...
Right, it's slow.
Nishimura is another producer checking in with Suzuki.
It's a serious problem to have gotten only this far by now.
- We have a press conference. - I know.
Should we announce it jointly,
and move the date later?
Let's stick with July 20 for now.
- For the December press. - Right.
I haven't told anyone, and I won't.
In my mind, it's July 20.
Understood.
It's tough.
Announcing Studio Ghibli's New Productions
Today, Studio Ghibli will announce their latest projects.
We'll now begin the press conference.
The materials you've received should indicate...
that The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
and The Wind Rises
will be released simultaneously.
Or something to that effect.
But once Takahata begins, how should I put this...
He's never delivered a film on time or on budget.
This guy here is already... 35?
Correct.
He's been on this project since 2006.
In that time, he married and had two kids.
One's starting elementary school.
This may be Takahata's last film, but we feel that it'll be his best.
To quickly summarize The Wind Rises,
it's about a man named Jiro Horikoshi.
For those who aren't familiar with him,
he designed the Zero fighter plane.
The story begins in his childhood,
when Jiro Horikoshi is ten years old.
The boy is in love with the skies,
and dreams of flying an airplane.
That's his dream.
But by the time this boy grows up,
and becomes an adult years later,
hoping to find a job making planes, the world is at war.
So he's forced to design carrier-borne fighter planes.
Miyazaki was born in 1941,
so he lived through the war.
But just like this character,
he finds himself fascinated by military aircrafts.
He's a man who's lived with this contradiction.
He's torn by what he loves.
He's drawn to war planes, yet he's anti-war.
How is someone like him even possible?
That's what he's trying to answer with this film.
Even if they finish concurrently,
you could still stagger the release.
Why choose to release them together?
Studio Ghibli is located in Higashi-Koganei.
Miyazaki is making his film in the North,
and Takahata is making his in the South.
To explain their relationship,
Takahata is actually five years older.
And when Miyazaki entered this industry,
it was Takahata who had discovered him.
Half a century ago,
at Toei Animation, a young man named Isao Takahata began his first job.
Four years later, Miyazaki joined the company fresh out of college.
Takahata, also called "Paku-san", took him under his wing,
and they began working together.
Miyazaki started as his apprentice.
They started working together on the same films,
and they began forging a bond.
Takahata directed, and Miyazaki drew the art.
That's what they did for 15 years.
Eventually, Paku-san, Miyazaki and others left Toei Animation.
Later, they made the TVseries Heidi, A Girl of the Alps,
directed by Paku-san.
They continued to work on many works together,
but during production on Anne of Green Gables, Miyazaki left.
The days of making "our" films and calling ourselves partners are over.
We're at the next stage. I had to start directing.
Really.
But after making his debut with The Castle of Cagliostro,
for his second film, Nausica of the Valley of the Wind,
Miyazaki asked Paku-san to be the producer.
After releasing My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies together,
and after Kiki's Delivery Service opened, Ghibli went to a salary system.
Suzuki left Tokuma Shoten
and officially joined Ghibli.
Miyazaki once served as producer on Paku-san's film.
Mark down July 5 as the release date, no later. Mark it with a skull.
Ever since, Suzuki has produced both of their films.
No doubt, they're rivals.
Friendly competitors.
So in that sense,
bringing their films out at the same time...
is great motivation for them.
I believe it'll help them make great films.
It's strategic.
Mr. Nishimura, you mentioned that this may be...
Takahata's best and final film.
Will this really be his last film?
This is it.
I didn't know what to do.
I didn't think it was physically possible to produce both their films.
I'd have no time for anything else.
During Totoro, Miya-san got upset.
I'd be working on stuff with Takahata-san until midnight,
then I had to work on a book after that,
so I'd go to my office at Tokuma Shoten.
Then I'd get a phone call.
It's Miya-san, he wants a meeting.
So I'd have to go all the way back.
And I realized I'd been ignoring him.
In order to bring Takahata-san's film to fruition,
I needed someone who could stick with him 24 hours a day.
So when Nishimura emerged, I knew we could do it.
The studio turns into chaos.
After he finished My Neighbors the Yamadas,
I came back from my retreat in a mountain cabin,
and he'd left the studio in total disarray.
I was so mad.
Paku-san doesn't care about that stuff.
But you haven't ever abandoned him, right?
No, I've already abandoned him... as a filmmaker.
He can't make films anymore.
He's even trying to not finish.
Takahata-san?
Right. Don't you think?
He's making one right now.
Sure.
But he's trying to not finish it, isn't he?
Don't you think?
To not finish?
Right.
Think I'm cruel?
Steel your heart!
As for Princess Kaguya,
it won't be ready. Let's just say it.
It'll take a miracle to finish by summer.
Which won't happen.
Giving up on a miracle,
Suzuki went on a regional tour to promote the films.
We'll make the rounds.
The two meet during The Great Kanto Earthquake.
Oh, I see... This isn't going to work.
These standees are useless.
This should all be Ghibli posters.
Thank you.
They're accompanied by Okuda from Nippon TV.
You sure eat a lot.
Suzuki-san is very strategic
about when and to whom he shows the finished film.
Not only that,
with meetings, it's how many people, who, where.
What will we eat?
Do we meet after the meal or during the meal?
Will there be lunch boxes? He thinks of everything.
With every meeting,
he knows people change based on who's there.
So I'm sure there's a reason Okuda is there.
During the war, Miyazaki's father...
had a company named Miyazaki Airplane
that manufactured parts for war planes.
So Miyazaki is putting a lot of his father into the Jiro character
in this film.
Hey, that sounds familiar...
Round, round, go round
Waterwheel, go round
Bring spring and summer, fall and winter...
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Coming Summer 2013
It's the song's fault. " Bring spring and summer, fall and winter."
Now the film will never finish.
Round and round...
Should've stopped at fall.
This'II sound overblown,
but for 3 years I've dreamt only of Takahata-san.
I'm serious, it's all about him.
Just trying to push him.
Everyone doubts whether the film will get done.
They know what he's like.
They know how bad he is with schedules.
And his behavior...
It's worrisome.
Meanwhile, The Wind Rises
was struggling to find a voice actor for the lead.
My impression of Jiro is that his voice is...
how to put this, more on the dainty side.
But that's not it?
Not dainty.
More like...
Intellectuals back then had good diction and higher voices.
Frankly, he's just terse.
He's so smart that he spares his breath.
It's not because he's shy.
We just need an actor who can perform that.
This guy doesn't exist.
The people on this list won't be able to give us that.
Maybe a non-actor would be better.
But that'll be difficult.
- Then they can't act. - Too extreme?
- A former non-actor? - What?
Then how about, for example...
Anno?
Hideaki Anno? Interesting.
We can't do Anno.
What would that be like?
Anno's voice, huh?
What do you think about Anno? I'm getting serious.
- He has a weird voice. - He does.
He has integrity.
Right, he's very earnest. The man doesn't lie.
What would happen?
It'll sound strange, but you'll get used to it.
It'll really bring him to life.
I kind of like this idea.
I'll call him and inquire.
Anno, what an amazing idea.
Hi there, I've got a question for you.
And this isn't a joke, I'm serious.
You know Miya-san is making The Wind Rises, right?
For the lead voice,
he thinks you might be the one.
Will you come audition for us?
I'll e-mail details later.
Great.
He'II do it.
Okay, we're rolling.
You must be hungry.
Here's something to eat.
It's sponge cake. I just bought it.
We're designing for the future.
Wing loading is 120... kilos per square meter.
Mr. Hirayama is our production...
Oh, I'm sorry.
Mr. Hirayama is our production engineer.
- Okay, that's enough, come up. - Sure.
The role's yours! The occasional slur we can fix.
With a few takes.
Your voice will work.
- You think? - Yes, please do it.
How could I say no to Miya-san?
This is shocking news.
Shocking is right.
- I'm shocked. - Me, too.
But know that Jiro Horikoshi is no ordinary man.
Never mind the kiss scene.
- No lines there. - No lines.
Not like I'll be kissing.
I like how enigmatic your voice is.
That's a compliment?
It's hard to pin down.
The auditions were awful.
Actors?
Right, actors. Not voice actors.
Their line deliveries are all the same.
They consider the other person,
or pretend to,
and then emote, like "this is me, emoting!"
- Let's go with Anno! - Okay!
Yes.
What a turn of events.
It's life in the 21st century.
He was so young then.
Nausica Memoirs I still remember when I met him.
Nausica Memoirs
He sat cross-legged in his swivel chair,
then he turned and faced me,
and his first words to me were, "When can you start?"
"Well, I'm still in Osaka, so not immediately..."
"What, you can't start tomorrow?!"
Sure, I remember.
- What was he like? - Like an alien.
- Alien? - Like, who is this guy?
What planet did he come from?
He was 23 then.
Anno drew the Giant Warrior in Miyazaki's Nausica,
then went on to become one of Japan's most prominent directors.
Thank you.
When he's walking, if his head goes up like this,
each step will look too bouncy.
Like a cheap background extra.
We should probably fix this one, too. Stands out too much.
Feels like it's working...
But feels like it's not.
Never made a film like this.
Though I did make Porco Rosso, a foolish film.
Even when I had the chance, I didn't want to.
Why was Porco Rosso foolish?
Because I've been making films for kids.
That film wasn't for kids.
How did this happen?
What am I doing with this film?
I'm not really sure how I ended up with this.
Am I strange?
Sure.
A white sloping path
Runs up into the sky
A gently swaying, misty haze
Surrounding and holding
Unnoticed by anyone
- All alone - "...all alone... "
Hold still.
Please quit if you: 1. have no ideas 2. always rely on others
3. shirk responsibility 4. lack enthusiasm
The world's gone crazy, huh?
You know, we're starting to feel restricted.
- By whom? - Everyone.
Starting with NHK telling us what we can't do.
Getting preemptive.
Really?
Suggesting we can't touch on certain issues,
whether it's on film or TV.
Pathetic.
Not just the government, even the private sector.
Pushing us back to the far right.
The days of creative freedom are ending.
You think?
You two are the end of the line.
In a sense, what we managed to do for 50 years is all coming to an end.
The writing's on the wall.
And so it begins.
We must live.
I think we're feeling that sense of dread in the air
that my parents felt back in their day.
Headed for the unknown.
No one thought we'd go to war with America.
And getting into that quagmire with China...
It happened while people weren't paying attention.
Suddenly, Japan went crazy and waged war on the world.
I didn't know how people felt back then,
but now I'm beginning to understand.
We're headed that way.
This isn't some kind of predictable story.
Who knows what'll happen.
As for me, I'm done making movies.
It's futile now.
I'm done.
That's someone dressed as you.
Sure looks like me.
Wondered if I was there.
Whatever.
I think some blame goes to senior citizens.
Younger people are more indifferent now.
I guess so.
Almost like younger people have given up already.
I'm not sure, but it's like...
The storyboard he's worked on for two years
is about to get done tonight.
This is tedious, I quit.
I moved that line over here.
Got it?
So you're done?
Almost threw out your back.
Shall we pop this?
Let's do it.
Everyone, the storyboard is done.
Gather around to celebrate.
Here's the button.
Press it?
Oh, like this.
I'd prefer more of a pop.
Well, I managed to finish it.
Oh, you did?
I did, but...
Is it pretty much as planned?
Yes, but without the battle scene.
This here.
Right, the Zero planes.
This is the only way I could end this.
I understand.
- This shot is pretty nice. - It is.
You know, reading it all the way through,
not sure if this is intended, but...
it feels strongly anti-war.
Definitely.
I don't believe Jiro Horikoshi was militant at all.
I know what you mean, but we have to do it.
Right.
Chan-san.
You happy?
Thank you.
Snowing, huh?
Sure is.
- Happy, no? - Not at all.
The film's final scene
had Jiro reuniting with his wife Nahoko, who died young.
There, she calls him to her.
He says, " She's been waiting here for a long time."
Instead of waving her hand...
- More like this? - Right.
Basically, between this world and the next,
there are people who aren't allowed into heaven.
After death.
This is Caproni's kingdom.
She says, " Come."
When she says that,
it's not like "Come!"
More like a whisper.
Somehow he can hear her.
Jiro understands her, so...
he nods like this.
You see, what drives animation is the will of the characters.
You don't depict fate, you depict will.
Even if fate exists.
I tried some things to make the arm look thinner,
but I think it's better to make it look looser.
So keep it around here.
Almost done.
- Trying to wrap this up? - Of course!
- Wanna get done! - Wanna get done!
The end is a new beginning.
Thanks, I'll do my best, too.
Thank you.
You all just want this over, dammit.
This is Miyazaki's son, Goro.
He's directed two features at Ghibli,
and he's been developing a new project with this producer.
But business-wise...
I'm not talking about business.
- But look, Goro... - No, no, no...
- This is all for you. - It's for me?
What Goro means is...
What I mean is,
how do I explain this...
I came into this industry by accident.
Working in animation?
I didn't start off wanting to work in animation
and aspiring to be a director
to make my own films. That's not how I got started.
So naturally, from my standpoint,
sometimes I do have doubts about my abilities,
and whether I have enough experience.
So for me to keep doing this,
I need a just cause, a good reason to do it.
And if I didn't come to Ghibli, I wouldn't be doing this.
On one hand I want to do it because I enjoy it,
but when I make films,
I do it for this company, Studio Ghibli.
It's for the people here,
and I don't mean the business.
It's for the people I work with.
That gives me a reason to do it.
But why do this project? Is this just for me?
It's up to you to find a reason to do it,
so if you can't find one, then that's that.
If I may chime in...
I'm saying don't pin it all on the director.
Okay, wait...
Isn't the producer responsible?
Here's what I was trying to say.
The Wind Rises and Princess Kaguya are both interesting cases.
With both projects,
neither director actually wanted to do it.
Then why did they get made?
If we really get down to the truth of the matter,
I hate to say this, but I pushed it through.
That's my point.
Miya-san took four months to decide to do The Wind Rises.
Takahata-san kept complaining, "Why should I have to do this?"
That's the truth. So I want to look at this logically.
Honestly, I believe that it's best for this particular project
if I stay out of the creative process.
But I think I misjudged the proper distance.
For that I truly apologize. It wasn't my intention.
I just ask that you reconsider this.
Suzuki-san, introduce yourself.
He's actually a big man here.
Don't say that.
You've all met me.
We'll be working together for a long time.
Welcome aboard.
Regarding the 1,000 sq. meter plot in Higashi-Koganei,
I actually met with the seller yesterday,
and we got it.
We're going to build a three-story studio.
First floor, second floor...
Basically, our foremost objective here...
is making good films.
No guarantees of lifetime employment here.
But companies are just conduits for money.
Its success isn't our priority.
What's important is that you're doing what you want,
and that you're gaining skills.
If Ghibli ceases to appeal to you, then just quit.
Because I'll do the same.
Always the same predictable stuff
Always recycling the same shots
It'll turn into a boring show
And the fad will be over
Work for it, Ken!
Until you can reach the sun
Work for it, Ken!
Work for it, Ken, The Wild Boy!
It's taken on so much and gotten so big.
But, well... that's it.
Aren't you worried about the studio's future?
The future is clear. It's going to fall apart.
I can already see it.
What's the use worrying? It's inevitable.
"Ghibli" is just a random name I got from an airplane.
It's only a name.
How pretty.
- It's okay to fall down. - Right.
Get back up and keep trying.
That's right.
- That's important. - Thank you.
Look how carefree she looks.
You have no schedule.
Ushiko, you go in my place.
Her gaze doesn't need to follow him.
She's a natural, serious character.
With the shadows...
- Oh, hello. - Go on.
She just brought up a very interesting issue,
which I'd like to explain.
Glancing sideways while turning makes the character look vulgar.
We can't do that in this film.
When she does that while saying,
"I've already told the doctor," it makes her look mean.
It makes her look arrogant, like she's in charge.
It's fine in contemporary dramas,
which basically pit egos against one another.
Behavior has changed over time.
Even bowing, for instance.
After you bow, back then you didn't go back all the way.
Watch me, I'll demonstrate.
"Thank you." See, I didn't straighten all the way back.
If I popped straight back up,
it was considered rude and arrogant in those days.
"Ah, is that right?"
You bring it back slowly.
See, that's Japanese etiquette.
That's all.
So be mindful of the glance, and the bow.
But I won't fix my mistake on that long dialogue.
That's my own blunder I'll have to live with.
Thank you.
- It's so hard. - It is.
- I'll do this from now. - Me, too.
Boy, that's tough.
Lately, Miyazaki has said
that he's having trouble drawing the Zero.
This is where all the deceased fly by.
I know I shouldn't glorify them,
but they really were cool planes.
What to do?
I thought he was too attached to them.
Maybe intimidated by them.
But I asked him and he said he just can't draw them.
I guess it's hard even for him.
When I pressed him with a pointed question about the plane,
I sensed that he got sort of annoyed.
I didn't want him to get really angry at me,
so I decided to shut up and just draw what's on the layout.
Maybe I'm an eccentric.
Not a typical plane fanatic.
Only one plane I want to make And for only one person Not a typical plane fanatic.
Only one plane I want to make And for only one person
I don't like Zero fanatics.
They're otakus, it's a fetish.
They just obsessed over it.
Otakus don't ever learn anything.
- So you're not an otaku? - No, I'm not.
- Vroom! - That's a quick ascent.
- An Immelmann turn. - Right.
Oops, the propeller fell.
That was over 8 seconds.
You'll live long.
I don't want to live a long life as an invalid.
Not that kind of long life.
I see people like that, I wish they'd just go.
Like, " No need to hang on. Go ahead and die."
"Just go!"
No struggle, you'll just croak one day.
Miya-san has so much energy.
He really does.
He's really good at taking care of himself.
His health?
Have you noticed?
He really protects himself.
But I've seen him in tatters.
No, he's...
- Acting? - Yup.
He does it instinctively.
He's a genius at making others' energy his own.
- Takahata-san, too. - Right.
- Always been that way. - Yup.
Don't fall for it.
Scary.
For Miya-san, his staff are like his pawns.
Is that right?
In trying to meet Miyazaki-san's demands,
there are some people who get worn out.
Unable to meet his demands,
some people kind of lose their motivation
and lose hope, thinking they failed, you know?
I guess it's really difficult
to work with someone like him.
You might think talented people do fine,
but some talented people have quit here, too,
because it's tough.
The more talented you are, the more he demands.
This may sound ungrateful, but if you want...
to protect yourself, you may want to stay away.
Maybe it's worth it if you're willing...
to sacrifice yourself to gain something
or you just really want to work with him.
But if there's anything in you that you want to protect,
you may not want to be around him long.
It's not because I'm too attached to Zeros, you know.
It's difficult for me.
All these emotions jostling around inside.
What is it?
What is it? What is it?
What is it? What is it? What is it?
Not this.
He asks for the impossible.
It's not really about how the Zeros actually flew.
He has a picture in his head of how he wishes Zeros flew.
How could another person ever hope to draw that?
It's impossible.
That's the issue.
This Zero in his head,
how can anyone see how beautifully it flies.
If that's what he's after, no matter who draws it,
he'll never nod "yes" .
Can't draw it.
Miya-san has this idealism in him.
He's a fascinating man.
He should just draw it.
But he's got this fantasy
that his younger self could draw this.
But personally, I think it would've been the same.
Basically, he expects perfection.
He's an idealist.
That's impressive, after all these years.
I have to take sleeping pills.
How else can I sleep?
Phew...
I'm actually very manic-depressive.
Today's over with.
I should draw better tomorrow.
I'm bummed, though.
Dammit.
I don't even know if we have a movie here.
I really don't know, to be honest.
But the film will not wait for its director.
13:00 - Anno
I see everyone's nervous, so I'll relax.
- Please do. - I will.
Good luck.
You, there. Come, take my seat.
Pardon me. Please.
Let's try the next scene.
What about your luggage?
Don't let your voice trail off.
What about your luggage?
Right.
You, there. Come, take my seat.
Pardon me.
It's okay.
Sounding good?
We'll see about that.
You, there. Come, take my seat.
Pardon me.
What do you think?
Thank you.
Losing energy.
Thank you.
That one was good.
It's promising.
It'll work?
We'll see about that.
Well, let's see how it goes.
An earthquake... Tremors...
An earthquake, earthquake.
An earthquake!
Come rest upstairs.
No, he'll start chiding me.
I'll bring some coffee.
Will it work?
I think so, if we're willing to go all in.
- I actually feel relieved. - Great.
You should come upstairs. You're getting high marks.
I won't fall for that.
No, really, you don't have to worry.
He's fun to bully.
Miyazaki received a letter from an unfamiliar man
two months before the film's completion.
I got a letter the other day.
During the war, I was evacuated to Utsunomiya for a time.
This man lived in the neighborhood
and he's 4 years older, 76 now.
The area was on fire and his home burned down,
while our home somehow survived.
The fire died down, but he lost his home,
and they happened to find our house.
And since no one was home,
apparently they sat down just inside the front door to rest.
Suddenly, my father came home.
They apologized, but he said, " It's fine."
Father went in to get something, came back,
and gave them chocolates.
Chocolates were rare then.
How did he get them?
I don't remember getting any.
I guess he had them stashed away.
It left a deep impression on him. So that's what he wrote me about.
It's very much like my father to do that.
Being welcomed instead of being chased out
probably shaped the way this man looked at the world.
My father was 28 then.
I was glad to hear this.
I want to reply to him, but I don't know how.
Meanwhile, my father got rich selling airplane parts.
Talk about a contradiction.
I used to argue with him, saying he supported the war.
But he gave the kid chocolate.
It was nice to hear.
Fate is funny, isn't it?
Paku-san walked two days and no one gave him anything.
Not even potato vines.
Look what happened to him.
Is Takahata-san progressing?
I mean...
Who knows.
Like he doesn't want to finish it.
At least Miya-san wants to finish.
That's true.
Takahata-san is incomprehensible.
Does he not want to finish it?
Miyazaki mentioned Paku-san at least once a day.
Sometimes he praised him...
Heidi is Paku-san's masterpiece.
Given all the restrictions in animation then,
he did everything he could.
Not only that, he accomplished so much.
Sometimes he said the opposite.
He's got a personality disorder. That's Paku-san, okay?
It's a mystery.
He must have something special.
I do think that what Takahata-san does is really stimulating.
It has appeal.
Japanese people have a tendency to flock to whatever is popular,
but you always need some kind of antithesis.
Who is light and who is shadow, I don't know.
He's always been the catalyst.
He discovered Hayao Miyazaki,
he discovered Joe Hisaishi,
which led to their partnership.
He's the one who taught... or rather, mentored Suzuki.
Without Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli wouldn't exist.
Miyazaki may have still made his mark,
but it wouldn't have been with Studio Ghibli.
Don't just film. I came here to show you.
Are you okay?
If I hang from this, will it break?
Who knows, seems like it might.
It's interesting.
You know, sometimes I might think...
about the world ending or something.
I'd never say that to a child.
This is important.
Children are what keep me going.
Not any particular child, children in general.
In December, we bring out the goats.
The kids remember them.
When they're gone, they notice.
Kids really remember things, you see.
Problems begin the moment we're born.
We're born with infinite possibilities,
only to give up on one after another.
To choose one thing means to give up on another.
That's inevitable.
But what can you do? That's what it is to live.
Looking happy, right?
Or no?
Who, you?
At this moment.
This moment...
It's the last shot.
Are you happy?
Nope.
I'd been wondering.
Taken away by Nahoko,
will Jiro go on to die?
She says "You must live," so he's not going to die.
I changed the ending.
Not like in the storyboard.
Nahoko says "ikite (live)" instead of "kite (come)".
So after all that anguish,
I finally have the line.
Isn't animation fascinating?
Nahoko...
She's been waiting here for a long time.
Darling, you must live.
You must live...
She is gone.
She was beautiful, like the wind.
Thank you.
You must live.
First, shall we drop by my house? I have some excellent wine.
Okay, thank you.
Miyazaki finally wrote the letter he'd been meaning to write.
"Thank you for the letter and book.
"I should've replied immediately,
"but was delayed as I got caught up with work.
"I apologize.
"Your letter brought back memories of the night of the air raids.
"That night, when my mother woke me,
"the window was aglow as if from sunset.
"My brother and I put our legs in a ditch under a bridge,
"and mats were propped up to protect us.
"It was so hot and painful that I sometimes wonder
"how we managed to survive or not lose our house in the fire.
"Eventually we were freed from the pressure
"and my father, brother and I sat in the back of a truck.
"A mother with a little girl asked to join us,
"and the fact we left them behind has haunted me for many years.
"My mother has also said something similar.
"But I feel no anger toward my father.
"Just a thorn in my heart.
"The chocolate story is very much like my father, my wife says.
"That's the kind of man he was.
"When climbing up the riverbank,
"my uncle took one brother while my mother took another.
"My father held a bag in one hand
"and carried me in the other,
"slipping many times as he tried to climb the embankment.
"He apologized each time he slipped.
"I thought I could climb on my own, but I kept my mouth shut.
"My father was...
"desperately trying to protect his family, I believe.
"Thank you very much for the letter.
"I feel like I've rediscovered my father.
"Thank you.
"Hayao Miyazaki"
I'm a Japanese boy.
I think this is my dream.
Come on! You can do it!
The Wind Rises
Thanks.
- Thank you. - You did a great job.
Thank you.
- Thanks for everything. - What a long process!
Suzuki-san's hip is gone.
I'm so glad.
So glad it was Anno.
We managed to finish.
We sure did... somehow.
What'll Miya-san do now?
Maybe he'll do one more.
You think?
Feels like he could.
No, I've had enough!
One more?
I liked seeing Miya-san's sudden turnabout.
- He avoided death. - Right.
I was really glad.
He was going to have him die, then somehow,
he shifted toward living.
That's what he was feeling.
I'm genuinely happy.
We were close to having a film...
in which everyone ends up dying.
At least Jiro manages to live.
Right, it's a different story now.
He needs to keep living.
I'm glad it ended that way.
He even added that line, "You must live."
It's a heavy thing to be told, though.
Well, I'll do my part.
- That's the message. - I know.
"The rest is up to you."
Right. I'll do my best.
Long time, no see.
- Been a while. - Right?
I heard you'll be gone a while.
I'm here next week.
- But still running around. - I see.
Or sleeping, maybe.
Sorry, I'm looking for change.
No smaller coins.
Almost done.
Sure, but I'm burnt out.
Oh, you must be tired.
How old are you?
Uh, seventy... two, 72.
The same age as my mother.
Your mother doing well?
- Never better. - I'm short.
Oh, it's okay.
- Here's another 100. - It's okay.
Anno hasn't changed at all.
Not in a bad sense.
"You haven't changed. Still the same."
That's Nahoko's line, but it's true.
Except for his tummy.
There's something mystical.
Ah, well...
What do you mean, mystical?
I dunno, human ties, maybe.
Human ties, or fate or something.
They're things beyond comprehension.
You can't just create it.
New employees from Nippon TVare visiting.
Look at this group.
Why was Nausica broadcast on NTV?
Tokuma Shoten's president then was Yasuyoshi Tokuma,
and the man who later became NTV's president was Seiichiro Ujiie.
You've heard his name?
Basically, the two were very good friends.
That's the only reason.
That's when we met Seiji Okuda, who became our main guy at NTV.
Now, I don't know if you're all aware of this, but Ghibli films...
only air on NTV. Why is that? Can you tell us?
We value friends, I guess.
I don't know if the term "friends" is appropriate,
but at Ghibli we do value human relationships.
It's not about just working with market share leaders.
Here's an extreme example.
Only slightly exaggerated. Okuda became our NTV contact.
Since then,
for the 20 years or so that he's worked with Ghibli,
he has visited us every night.
Never talked about work.
But we talked about lots of different things,
which led to talking about family, naturally.
That's what gave birth to Spirited Away.
When Okuda's daughter turned ten,
Miyazaki had a cabin in the mountains,
and he invited them there.
So they spent some time there.
That experience is what motivated Miyazaki to make Spirited Away.
I'll say this, based on my experience.
In your work, obviously, you'll meet many people.
But ultimately, it's about who you work with.
Only those who choose the right people to work with
will be able to do the work they want.
Sankichi is pregnant.
I've heard.
I'm the last to know?
Well, she had her reasons.
She was waiting.
But she's 3 months in.
She's known for a while.
Oh, really?
She felt she shouldn't tell you then.
The last shot is done.
Thank you, everyone.
I guess the end warrants applause.
Clap for yourselves. Good job, everyone!
After finishing all his work,
Miyazaki headed for the rooftop as usual.
Who should be waiting there...
but Paku-san, who's never here.
The flip side of the story is,
if I hadn't met Miyazaki, I wouldn't be here.
If I hadn't come across his talent,
everything would be completely different.
Along the same lines, when we met Toshio Suzuki,
that brought a lot, too.
Teaming with someone talented like Miya-san
allowed me to make good films.
Without talented people, you can't make good films.
When I joined Toei Animation,
I met lots of people, including Takahata,
but not just him, many people.
They taught me so many things,
hammered away at my weaknesses,
and really forced me to grow.
I even got roped into union activism.
I said I didn't want to get involved,
but they insisted, saying I know how to talk.
Suddenly, I had responsibilities.
So it meant a lot to meet Paku-san then.
Sometimes he'd be asleep during crucial moments.
We'd try to wake him up for a union dispute, but no.
As we grew older, we got more stubborn and jaded,
and we started to clash more, but as Paku-san has said,
we really were partners.
There was a time when we both had passion for our work.
And I'm really glad we had that.
We gave it everything we had. Everything.
It's front-page news today.
And they quote you from that article.
Well, good.
This may impact the election.
- The reaction is mixed? - Yes.
Well, what can you do? If Suzuki-san gets stabbed,
I'll go and die with him.
Takahata-san will be stabbed, too.
But I'm glad they mentioned the constitutional reform.
Hayao Miyazaki says "Leave Constitution Alone" But I'm glad they mentioned the constitutional reform.
Hayao Miyazaki says "Leave Constitution Alone"
This notion that one's goal in life is to be happy,
that your own happiness is the goal...
I just don't buy it.
Because... What do you think?
Do you think your goal is to become happy yourself?
I mean, happiness is...
I've heard that from several people now and I wonder...
is that what postwar democracy has amounted to?
I don't get it, so I'm curious.
What about Suzuki-san?
He can't be doing this for his own happiness.
So why does he do it?
Do you work for your own happiness?
I don't ever feel happy in my daily life.
Really, isn't that how it is?
How could that ever be our ultimate goal?
Filmmaking only brings suffering.
Suffering?
Absolutely. Right?
She knows, she's seen me.
"It took so long!" she said.
It really was long.
Can't believe I actually want to do another one.
For the staff screening,
Miyazaki chose to take the train to the venue.
Thank you, everyone.
This is embarrassing,
but this is the first time I cried at my own film.
Okay, let's go.
The Wind Rises Wrap Party
The Wind Rises SOLD OUT
Hayao Miyazaki to Retire
It was cloudy that day.
Miyazaki was talkative as usual,
but he said nothing about his retirement.
Soon, Suzuki drove us to the hotel for the press conference.
Just before the conference was about to begin...
See him watering his plants?
I see him.
He has no idea we're watching him.
Look over there.
See that house with all the ivy on it?
From that rooftop,
what if you leapt onto the next rooftop,
dashed over to that blue and green wall,
jumped up and climbed up the pipe,
ran across the roof and jumped to the next?
You can, in animation.
If you can walk the cable, you could see the other side.
When you look from above,
so many things reveal themselves to you.
Maybe race along the concrete wall.
Suddenly, there in your humdrum town is a magical movie.
Isn't it fun to see things that way?
Feels like you could go somewhere far beyond.
Maybe you can.
No, I'm not nervous.
- Is that right? - Yes.
- Okay, we'll begin. - Please.
After the conference,
I asked what he'd written on that paper he had.
He showed it to me.
It was his official retirement statement.
This was the first sentence:
"I hope to work for ten more years."
Hello, please allow me to observe you working.
Produced by Nobuo Kawakami DWANGO
Music by Masakatsu Takagi
Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Directed by Mami Sunada