A short retrospective on the work of Japan's most famous animated film director.

Hayao Miyazaki

He was born on 5 January 1941 in Tokyo. His working father is the director of Miyazaki Airplane, a company that produces control surfaces for aeroplanes. His passion for planes must date from this period, and many aeronautical machines can be found in his films. As an adult, he began his career working at Studio Toei, before launching his own studio, the famous Ghibli.

Nausicaä of the Vally of Wind (1984)

In a post-apocalyptic future, war and pollution have devastated the Earth. We follow the adventure of Nausicaä, the princess of the Valley of the Wind, who constantly explores the toxic expanses where only huge insects are found. One day, a ship crashes near her village. The occupants of the ship enslave the inhabitants of the village. Only Nausicaä manages to escape and her goal is to save her people from slavery.

Castle in The Sky (1986)

Sheeta, a young girl, is kidnapped by sky pirates. She manages to escape by jumping from the airship where she was held hostage. She then meets Pazu, a young orphan, to whom she confides that she is the descendant of the kings of Laputa, a mysterious island floating in the sky.

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

Mei and Satsuki move with their father to a big house in the country, because their mother is staying in a nearby hospital. They discover the house, and especially the nature around. Small creatures attract their attention, the Totoros, with whom they become friends.

Porco Rosso (1992)

In the late 1920s in Italy, Marco, an excellent aeroplane pilot, is transformed into a pig under mysterious circumstances. He tries to bring justice to the Adriatic Sea, fighting against sky pirates.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

A young warrior, Ashitaka, battles a giant boar. When he kills it, he finds himself afflicted by a strange evil. On the advice of the village elders, he sets out to find out what turned the boar into a demon. On this journey he meets San, a young girl who lives with the wolves. Ashitaka understands that the evil comes from the animals, who take revenge on humans because they destroy the forest.

Spirited Away (2001)

On their way to their new home, Chihiro and her parents get lost. They stumble upon a huge deserted restaurant, only to discover that mysterious things are happening there.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Sophie, a young woman, works in a hat shop. One day she meets a magician whom she finds charming. A wicked witch turns Sophie into a 90-year-old woman.

Ponyo (2008)

A little boy, Sosuke, lives on a cliff top overlooking the sea. He spends a lot of time playing on the beach, and one day he comes across a little goldfish girl called Ponyo.

The Wind Rises (2013)

The story takes place at the beginning of the last century in Japan. A young man is fascinated by planes. He dreams of flying through the sky and meets his idol, the aircraft designer Giovanni Caproni. His greatest wish is to become a pilot, but because of his eyesight, he will never be able to do so. He decided to study aeronautical engineering and got a job in a big engineering company.

Here is a small list of the main feature films from Studios Ghibli. Note that the next film is announced for 2023, it is Kimi-tachi wa dō ikiru ka (literally And you how will you live?)

Maybe you will fall in love with the universe of the mentioned films, in this case nothing better than taking a comic book/manga drawing course to learn how to draw and share your interests. Apolline offers courses in Lausanne, Morges, Montreux, Bienne and Delémont. And to deepen your knowledge even more, you can take part in the comic/manga drawing holiday camps that take place throughout French-speaking Switzerland during the school holidays!