Like most hard-core Studio Ghibli fans, when I first heard about The Kingdom of Tales and Madness, I nearly wept to know that I finally had a chance to see the studio in action, namely Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, as they finished their final feature films The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, respectively.
Filmmaker Mami Sunada was granted access to Studio Ghibli during the final year of production, following the announcements from Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata that they would retire upon completion of these final two films. And while we all reeled in pain from the shock of the announcement, this documentary was quietly being put together and was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Here is the wonderfully sweet. yet heart wrenching, trailer for the film:
The film is due to be released at the IFC theatre in New York City on November 28th, perfect for Thanksgiving weekend. The good news for those of you not able to get to NYC in time, is that the film will be available digitally shortly after, starting December 9th, and will be released on DVD and VOD on January 27th, 2015. The following is the synopsis provided at the Tribeca International Film Festival.
This engrossing documentary takes us inside Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio that created such classics as Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke.
Located in a Tokyo suburb, Studio Ghibli looks from the outside like a modest office building. But behind its doors, some of the greatest creative talents in cinema work every day. These are the imaginations behind Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbor Totoro, and Ponyo. Mami Sunada’s documentary, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, takes us inside the Studio, offering unprecedented access to the work of producer Toshio Suzuki and world-renowned filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.
Shooting Miyazaki at work on The Wind Rises (Festival 2013) and Takahata making The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (playing at this year’s Festival), Sunada establishes Ghibli as an enchantingly old-fashioned workshop. Wearing a craftsman’s apron at the office, Miyazaki toils on meticulous drawings that he times out with an analogue stopwatch. He often escapes to a nearby garden for breaks. Not oblivious to his reputation as perhaps the greatest animator in the history of cinema, he adopts the persona of a wise, kindly trickster. “Am I strange?” he asks. “Sure.”
To watch Miyazaki, Takahata, and Suzuki in conversation with their teams is to begin to understand the success of Studio Ghibli. No detail escapes their attention. Whether it’s the tough-minded Suzuki negotiating marketing elements or Takahata investigating how to adapt a tenth-century folktale for Princess Kaguya, the Ghibli team exhibits a patient, truly inspiring dedication to excellence. But Sunada avoids hyperbole, understanding that — though these men summon whole worlds from their psyches up onto the big screen — it would be a mistake to call them anything as grand as gods. Like many great artists, Miyazaki understands that he works in the service of his stories. “What drives animation is the will of the characters,” he notes at one point. “You don’t depict fate. You depict will.”
I, without a doubt, will sob throughout the film. Just seeing the trailer has made me tear up in public (and I’m not one to cry in public).
