This article originally appeared on i-D FR.
Hayao Miyazaki is not just a genius, he’s also a joker. In 2013, at 72 years old, he announced his retirement to the world, leaving us all potentially orphaned by the most beautiful animated stories in history. While this was upsetting, there was no need to panic: a succession was certain, as an artist like him has plenty of apprentices. And more importantly, his retirement didn’t last long. It ended in 2016, with the announcement of a new project, the short film Boro the Caterpillar, which should be coming out “soon” and whose first images were released last March.
But what could the master of Japanese animation have done during these two years of well-deserved retirement? The answer will be revealed in Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki — a documentary dedicated to exploring this period of time in the life of the designer, director, producer, and co-founder of the mythical Studio Ghibli. During this time, Hayao Miyazaki allowed one of his relatives, the director Kaku Arakawa, to film him closely. We will see how the creator of Totoro has been busy exploring the use of new technologies in his art, back in his home with a smaller iteration of Studio Ghibli.
In addition to opening a door to the creative process of such a sacred movie monster, the documentary focuses on understanding the technological challenges faced by the world of animation. And what more suitable figure to take us there. Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki is screening in select theaters throughout the US, on December 13 and 18. Watch the trailer below.
Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki is screening in select US theaters on December 13 and 18. Showtimes and tickets are available here.