To say 2013 is a big year for Studio Ghibli is a bit of an understatement. First we saw the release of The Wind Rises, Hayao Miyazaki’s first film in four years. Then we learned it would be his last when he announced his retirement just a few weeks later. And next month will see the release of Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata’s long-awaited Princess Kaguya.
The making of those two films, and the relationship between the three men who founded Ghibli, will be the subject of a documentary due out next month in Japan. The film, titled The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, is directed by Mami Sunada, who gained notoriety for her very personal 2011 documentary Death of a Japanese Salesman, which documented her father’s battle with cancer.
If that film is any indication, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness will be much more than a Studio Ghibli puff piece.
An extended look at the film is now available on YouTube, and while it’s all in Japanese, it’s worth taking a look at just to see the inner workings of Studio Ghibli. Look out for an appearance by Evangelion director and The Wind Rises star Hideaki Anno.
Source: Asahi Shinbun
This story originally ran in the 10/22/13 issue of the Otaku USA e-News
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