With film screening of "The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness"

Go inside one of the most celebrated animation studios, Studio Ghibli in this documentary directed by Mami Sunada. The film follows the the three men who are the lifeblood of Studio Ghibli- diretor Hayao Miyazaki, the producer Toshio Suzuki, and the influential director Isao Takahata- over the course of a year as the studio rushes to complete two films, Miyazaki's The Wind Rises and Takahata's Tale of the Princess Kaguya. 

Flyer

If you have been thrilled by the images and touched by the heart-warming stories of Hayao Miyazaki’s feature-length animated works, you may count yourself among the vast numbers of fans of this revered filmmaker. Yet Miyazaki’s legions of fans include not only his viewing audience, but also many manga and animation professionals, both in Japan and around the world. Miyazaki is also one of the founders of Japan’s famous Studio Ghibli, where, along with his fellow director, Isao Takahata, and long-term producer, Toshio Suzuki, he has created one hit after another. To the shock of fans, in 2013, Miyazaki announced his retirement, creating many questions about the future of not only Studio Ghibli, but of Japan’s entire feature-length animation industry. Miyazaki has announced his retirement several times before, and rumors always persist of a comeback, but in Japan today the lack of an apparent successor is of great concern.

Less known outside of Japan is the fact that Miyazaki is also a prolific writer, speaker, and controversial intellectual, who boasts two giant volumes of interviews and essays. Translated into English as Starting Point: 1979-1996, and Turning Point: 1997-2008, these books total over 900 pages of text, and are both published by Viz Media in San Francisco. In an illustrated talk, Beth Cary and Frederik Schodt, the translators of the works, will explore the reasons for the appeal of Miyazaki and his films, in both Japan and the United States, and examine the role of Studio Ghibli, which is enjoying its 30th anniversary this year.

Bio
Frederik L. Schodt’s writings on manga, and his translations of them, helped trigger the current popularity of Japanese comics in the English-speaking world. In 2009, the Japanese Government presented him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his work in helping to promote Japan’s popular culture in the United States. He has written widely on Japanese history, popular culture, and technology.

Beth Cary has interpreted for many Japanese artists, including Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki at their presentations in the Bay Area and beyond. As a translator she has translated Japanese fiction and nonfiction works, ranging from the social sciences to literary reflections. Recently she has translated several award-winning mystery stories for the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Contact:

2138214365

cjrc@dornsife.usc.edu