Spark 2014: Exploring Hayao Miyazaki's Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

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      The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

      A documentary by Mami Sunada. In Japanese, with English subtitles.

      At first glance, Studio Ghibli seems like the ideal, almost utopian, workplace. There's a relaxed vibe in the sunlit studio where there's not a computer screen to be seen on desks. Staff, who still work with pencils and paper, casually joke with one another. One employee even says her job is more like school than work. Meanwhile, Ushiko the cat meanders about the premises, frequently taking breaks to catch sunrays.

      Actually, the beginning of this two-hour documentary about Studio Ghibli and its founder, renowned anime director Hayao Miyazaki, has the entrancing feel of a dramatic feature, with its introspective female narrator and soft music soundtrack. As director Mami Sunada follows Miyazaki about his days, she reveals tensions beneath the placid surface.

      Merchandise sales aren't healthy. Deadlines are being missed. There are also worries simmering beneath Miyazaki's calm demeanour. He's troubled by what he observes about current issues in Japan, including nuclear power and rising tensions between Japan and China. He has chronicled Japan's economic depression, and he frequently mentions the Fukushima disaster. The socio-political basis informing his films, whether directly or indirectly (such as his strong environmental or even feminist elements), becomes evident.

      For someone who makes colourful films for children, he has a surprisingly pessimistic outlook on the future, both for his company and the world. (He also calls himself a manic-depressive.)

      He also talks about his hate-love rivalry with fellow Ghibli director Isao Takahata, who was at work (even though he repeatedly takes doubtful jabs about that) on The Tale of Princess Kaguya (which will open at Vancity Theatre on October 31) while Miyazaki was also toiling away on his own last film, The Wind Rises.

      Nonetheless, what Sunada provides is an intriguing and insightful perspective of the reality that informs Miyazaki's fanciful world.

      Those who are looking for a highly visual exploration of his work won't find it here; it's his process—both personal and business matters—more than his aesthetic that is the focus. In fact, there are almost no clips from his films, and only a few shots of him working on his drawings. His attention to detail—called "perfectionistic", sometimes even "impossible"—is shown by such examples as him talking to his staff about how to accurately depict the body language of modern Japanese etiquette.

      In particular, he emphasizes his own organic process in creating his films, admitting that both he and his staff don't really understand what some of his stories are about.

      That's pretty much central to his general approach. When questioned about the hows and whys of his behaviour, he often tosses off the questions by stating he doesn't know or that the answers are simply unknowable parts of life. Whether he lacks proficiency at introspection, is extremely private, or doesn't have any insight due to other reasons are unclear.

      What becomes obvious though is that he is always immersed in process, working things out as he goes along. The tenuous quality of that process is emphasized by the uncertain fate of the company itself. As confusing and unpredictable as that process will be, Miyazaki has always persevered, even if the ending arrives in a form not exactly as expected.

      The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness screens at Spark Animation Festival 2014 on Saturday (October 25) at 7 p.m. and Sunday (October 26) at 6:30 p.m. at Vancity Theatre.

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig.

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