At the 96th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, The Boy and the Heron, which is said to be the last film from esteemed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, was named the winner for best animated feature.
The Boy and the Heron is based on Genzaburō Yoshino’s 1937 novel, How Do You Live?. It follows the story of a young boy during World War II who embarks on a quest to find his mother in a fantastical realm. Upon its release in the UK, it was praised by the Guardian’s chief film critic Peter Bradshaw for its enigmatic and endearing nature, which echoes Miyazaki’s recurring themes of childhood struggles and sorrow.
During a December visit to Studio Ghibli in Miyazaki, the Guardian reported that the 83-year-old director does not currently have plans for more feature films. However, the company’s vice-president, Junichi Nishioka, has stated that Miyazaki is not planning to retire. In fact, back in September, Nishioka claimed that Miyazaki was already bringing new ideas into the office.
Miyazaki remains by far the most high-profile Japanese animator in the west, winning scores of awards including the best animated feature Oscar in 2003 for Spirited Away and receiving two further Oscar nominations for Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises, in 2006 and 2014 respectively.
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Source: theguardian.com
